Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed pulled no punches Thursday when asked about longtime rival and critic, State Sen. Vincent Fort.
“Vincent Fort is one of the most disappointing human beings I’ve ever seen,” Reed told reporters and business folks at an Atlanta Press Club luncheon on Thursday, in response to a journalist’s question about Fort’s legislative priorities.
The mayor also accused Fort of introducing legislation aimed at Atlanta City Hall as a “publicity stunt” ahead of a bid for the mayor’s office in 2017 — though Fort has not officially declared his intent. The state senator, a Democrat who represents Atlanta, is behind various bills that would prohibit City Hall from outsourcing parking enforcement, place the Atlanta Streetcar under MARTA’s control and block a pedestrian bridge the city is building at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Fort shot back with a statement on Thursday, saying he’s “disappointed that our mayor would stoop to personal attacks rather than addressing the concerns of our joint constituents.”