A Sandy Springs Councilman announced his reelection run Friday saying diversity concerns of residents and capital projects are his focus.
City Councilman Andy Bauman on Friday said he will run for a third term in District 6. Bauman was first elected in 2013 and won a second term in 2017. Bauman’s district includes the City Springs campus at the heart of Sandy Springs southward almost to Chastain Park.
“I have to be mindful that we represent a large district and a large city,” Bauman said. Barely 2,000 of his 18,000 constituents vote consistently, he added.
Bauman is an attorney and co-founded the Sandy Springs Farmers Market, which is now operated by the city.
During a call with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bauman praised Sandy Springs police and fire departments and emergency medical technicians but said the city has work to do to make all residents feel included.
“I’m not unaware of what’s going on in the world,” he said. “No doubt what 2020 revealed permeated everything. Any community is one incident away from problems. Elected officials can’t prevent that.”
Sandy Springs recently formed a diversity and inclusion committee. The committee followed 44 virtual group conversations on race with residents last year that revealed many minorities feel unwelcome in their city.
Bauman said those sentiments can block diversity among elected officials.
“Along with that is what attracts people and inhibits people to be in public service,” he said. “In 2017, six of seven races were unopposed.”
While Bauman currently has no opposition, new candidates have announced runs in other Sandy Springs races. Mayor Rusty Paul and all six councilmembers are up for reelection in November.
Bauman said he’d also like to work on pedestrian connectivity to Chastain Park.
“When I ran in 2013, I ran on the idea of having a connected community — trails, sidewalks, the city center,” he said. “They were mostly physical connections; how we get places. In 2021, there’s a deeper meaning.”
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