Candidate Profile: Dustin Hillis For Atlanta City Council

ATLANTA — Fifty-six City Council candidates are running for 16 seats in Atlanta's Nov. 2 municipal election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Dustin Hillis is running for Atlanta City Council, District 9.

Age (as of Election Day)

36

Party Affiliation

Family

Wife - Lindsey, 36; son — Wyatt, 4; daughter — Rylee, 1

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Education

MPA — Valdosta State, BSN — Georgia State, BS — Middle Tennessee State

Occupation

City Councilmember — 4 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Atlanta City Council — District 9

Campaign website

www.voteDustinHillis.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for re-election to keep working for the people of District 9 on our greatest needs of safer neighborhoods, better infrastructure, and greater city services.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Crime/Public Safety - we have to focus on improving retention and recruitment in both our police and fire departments to fill the hundreds of vacancies in both departments. This will allow for true community-oriented policing, proactive patrols, and better response times.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

First and foremost, I have the experience needed for such a position, serving as a true "boots on the ground" councilmember for 4 years, plus working for the previous councilmember for 2 years prior to that. I am truly grassroots, having first started over 10 years ago working on city issues in my neighborhood, leading my neighborhood association, and attending my NPU meetings. My sole challenger has only lived in our District for 2 years, has never voted in a City of Atlanta election, and is a "professional activist" who has never worked on most of the issues we face in the District.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

As a nurse, I believe our local officials responded appropriately, given the limits placed on them by the State of Georgia, as well as the fact that our county government is in charge of public health, per our charters. Personally, I worked with the county and others to host testing and vaccination sites in District 9.

What do you identify as the root causes of the recent and ongoing increase in violent crime, and how would you address the issue?

The pandemic has certainly played a role, especially when it comes to the increases in domestic violence. However, the fact that our police department is currently down 600 officers cannot be overlooked as one of the prime causes. We need to rebuild our staffing, so officers are not simply going from call-to-call, but are able to engage in true community policing and proactive patrols in our neighborhoods and retail areas.

Do you support or oppose the creation of Buckhead City? Why or why not?

I oppose Buckhead City. However, the reasons they give for wanting to leave Atlanta are issues in Buckhead, and throughout the city, that absolutely must be addressed. The next administration needs to sit down with Buckhead residents and businesses to hash out short-, mid-, and long-term plans with measurable goals to thoroughly address the crime and city service issues.

How would your administration react to the creation of Buckhead City and the resulting loss of a major residential, commercial and cultural center and significant source of tax revenue? How would you respond to residents and businesses in that community if cityhood were rejected?

I am not running for mayor, so I do not have an "administration", however, I will work diligently with whoever the next mayor is to fully address these issues both in Buckhead and citywide.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The need for safer neighborhoods, better infrastructure, and greater city services - getting "back to the basics".

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As public safety chair my first two years in office, I led the successful push for raises for our police, firefighters, and 911 dispatchers, as well as secured millions of dollars in funding for our new Fire Station 22.
I worked to add and safeguard over 900 affordable housing units in the district and establish an owner-occupied rehab program that will again be expanded early next year. I also worked to clean up our neighborhoods, securing 200+ demolitions of blighted buildings, including the largest code enforcement demo in Atlanta history.
I joined with our communities to successfully stop corporations that planned to construct a gigantic fuel terminal on a historically significant site along the Chattahoochee River at the mouth of Proctor Creek. We also completed Phase I of the city's new Westside Park, which also has a reservoir that increased our city's emergency drinking supply from 3 days to 90 days.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Stand for what you believe in.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

You can trust me and count on me to continue the great progress we have made in District 9. I will continue working hard for you to ensure we have safer neighborhoods, better infrastructure, and better city services.