Dear Friends and Neighbors,

 This fall I will stand for re-election to represent District 7 on the Atlanta City Council.  I humbly ask for your vote, and that you please take a moment to review my track record as a public servant.

Strengthening Public Safety—YOUR safety—is a promise all candidates will make this year.  But how many of them can report that they led the fight for the biggest police & fire raises in decades; installed hundreds of cameras and license-plate-readers in our neighborhoods; raised pensions for officers catastrophically wounded in the line of duty; invested bond funds to renovate our fire stations; brought APD’s Zone Two Headquarters to Buckhead; was the swing vote opposing ‘defunding’ our police; co-sponsored a resolution urging Fulton County’s Magistrate & Superior Court judges to install publicly accessible cameras in their courtrooms; ensured that all of our front-line officers have body cameras; supported a resolution urging the Georgia General Assembly to allow local governments to seize & sell street-racing vehicles; sponsored the ordinance awarding a $2,400 retention bonus to eligible officers willing to stick it out here; co-sponsored the ordinance requiring the CFO to conduct forensic audits of alcohol license-holders; supported the ability to issue a ‘Due Cause’ finding for first-time offenders; and initiated an audit revealing how under-strength APD’s bar/club/restaurant watchdogs are.

This legislative track record and my public criticism of the Administration’s response to the worst crime wave in a generation have echoed from LA to Chicago to New York to London in an attempt to make my voice YOUR voice.

Standing Up For Our Neighborhoods: I have supported every single community zoning recommendation, and have never lost a vote in Council; turned a long-standing set of neighborhood policy preferences into black-letter law; lengthened NPU review time from 30 days to 45; created Atlanta’s first ‘vertical’ neighborhood, Buckhead Heights; eliminated all of the district’s industrial-zoned areas; derailed a proposed WalMart; enacted two development moratoriums; rewrote Atlanta’s Noise Ordinance so that it actually works; opposed siphoning off of tree-planting money to cover salaries; co-sponsored the ordinance ending the ability of developers to stack new homes atop  cliff-like retaining walls; opposed the ‘short-term-rental’ ordinance as it did not limit how many could be on a street, in a neighborhood, or in a multi-family building; and strenuously opposes the Administration’s announced intention to “end single-family housing.”

Meeting Our Traffic Problem Head On: Succeeded in re-writing state law to keep transportation impact fees generated in Buckhead deployed in Buckhead; secured millions for new cross-walks, speed-humps, and next-gen traffic signals; completed the ‘missing ramps’ connecting I-85 & GA400; eliminated thousands of car trips by reducing parking ratios; and invested tens of millions in addressing the District’s worst bottlenecks.

Doubling Our District’s Greenspace: I’ve added the most greenspace, parks, and trails since Buckhead became part of Atlanta in 1952.  I’m especially proud that the original GA400 Trail, now fully funded and nearing completion, will link with a multi-use trail network (including the BeltLine which, which I also helped launch) that will be the envy of the nation.

Raising The Bar On Ethics And Efficiency: I voted to create Atlanta’s autonomous Ethics Commission (the first in Georgia);  end perks lavished by special interests on elected officials & City employees; require the registration of lobbyists ; co-chaired the Committee on Waste & Efficiency that saved the City millions; created an ‘Independent Procurement Review’ to scrutinize proposed transactions over $1M; sponsored legislation requesting the HR Department to confirm that male & female employees are equally compensated; passed legislation increasing the justification for ‘sole source’ contracts; co-sponsored legislation establishing specific guidelines and eligibility criteria to govern bonus awards; limited the circumstances in which a City credit card can be used; co-sponsored a ground-breaking Charter Amendment creating an independent and muscular ‘Office of Compliance’ and ‘Inspector General’ to investigate and punish City Hall wrongdoers; and opposed the recent and unsupported increase of solid waste fees. 

Grounding Our Finances In Common Sense: During my 18 years on the Finance Committee (6 as Chair) I have never supported a property tax increase; required the online posting of proposed budgets; brought Atlanta’s bond ratings to historic highs; reformed city pensions (including the ‘Shook Amendment’ requiring employees—not just the public—to cover investment shortfalls); required the build-up of restricted “rainy day” reserves; co-sponsored an ordinance setting aside a steadily increasing annual investment in our roads, bridges, and sidewalks; required NPU review of all proposed fee increases; and opposed exorbitant public funding of The Gulch and other examples of corporate welfare.

Environment: I helped create Atlanta’s first tree preservation, wetlands protection, run-off, and long-term water quality monitoring ordinances, and re-invented the Nancy Creek Sewer upgrade from its environmentally disastrous initial design into the efficient, unseen system that has drastically improved that stream’s health.

My Track Record and Your Priorities have always been the same, resulting in a substantial, measurable progress on the things that matter to you.

Your servant,

Howard