Candidate Profile: Jacki Labat 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.

Jacki Labat is running for Atlanta City Council Post 3 At-Large.

Age (as of Election Day)

52

Party Affiliation

Democratic, although this is a non-partisan race

Family

Patrick Labat, 54 (Maya 26, Briana 26, Patrick II 23, Anthony 22)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Yes, my husband is the Sheriff of Fulton County. He took office on Jan 1, 2021.

Education

Elementary through High School: Atlanta Public Schools & Fulton County Schools
College: Hampton University, BA in Biology

Occupation

20+ years as an Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff
8 years as a small business owner - Business Management Consultant

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

NONE

Campaign website

www.jackiforatlanta.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Atlanta City Council because I have a heart for public service and will bring collaborative leadership and fresh ideas that are needed to move the City of Atlanta forward. I will deliver concrete solutions to address Crime & Public Safety, Infrastructure & Affordable Housing and deliver innovative solutions to engage & empower our youth. I will work to advance equity and improve the quality of life for all who live, work and play in Atlanta.

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

In speaking with voters across the city, the most pressing issue is crime and public safety. I believe we need a short-term and long-term plan to have a meaningful impact on crime. We must address staffing levels within APD and AFRD to include strong recruitment campaigns to attract and retain the best talent. We must focus on training and repairing the relationship between law enforcement and the community. And we must continue to be laser-focused on crime prevention — targeting repeat offenders, gangs and gun violence as well as pushing for a full audit and overhaul of the juvenile justice system to include pre-entry resources in addition to humane housing and re-entry programming. We must also take an in-depth look into the city's FTA rates and signature bond processes.

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

I have never held office before, nor have I ever run for office. I am not seeking this office as a politician, but rather as a mom, wife and small business owner who simply wants to champion good, smart governance and move Atlanta forward. I stumbled upon a life in public service when I married my husband who was then the Chief of the Atlanta City Detention Center. While technically a part-time position, serving as a Post 3 At-Large council member will absolutely be a full-time commitment for me.

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

N/A - there is no incumbent in this race.

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

One of the biggest missteps made this time last year — as well as when the vaccines were released — was assuming COVID-19 would be over by now. While Atlanta is no longer on lockdown, the pandemic rages on. The economic toll on many has been devastating, and we must begin to explore short-term and long-term post-COVID recovery plans to ensure adequate resources are available to include financial, educational, technological and healthcare resources. I would also encourage business owners to revisit business models to ensure long-term success and viability in a post-COVID world. Many of the changes brought about during the pandemic are here to stay, and some prior business models will not survive. We should focus on helping those business owners pivot and perhaps reinvent themselves in a sustainable way.

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

We are seeing an alarming spike in crime that is, in part, due to the environment created by the pandemic; however, we are also seeing many crimes of opportunity — where criminals feel emboldened in certain parts of our city due to a lack of staffing, resources and response times. We must fully staff APD and AFRD and be prepared to aggressively recruit and retain talent. Supporting our public safety officers is not mutually exclusive from holding them accountable. We need to restore trust and repair the relationship between law enforcement and the community. As a city, we should focus on crime prevention as well as "pre-entry" resources to keep our youth out of the criminal justice system, to begin with, and also resources/programming for those who are re-entering society. Local law enforcement should band together to target repeat offenders, gangs and gun violence. And the juvenile justice system should be overhauled to ensure accountability and consequences as opposed to being a gateway for a life of crime. We must also take an in-depth look into the city's FTA rates and signature bond processes.

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

The plans that I've seen for the City of Buckhead appear to be cursory and high-level with a primary focus on public safety. I believe that a new administration at City Hall that takes a hard-line stance on crime and public safety along with fully staffed police and fire departments and improved, more efficient city services will bring about much of the change that Buckhead City supporters (and all Atlantans) would like to see.

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?

Should the Buckhead cityhood movement pass, it would deliver a devastating blow to Atlanta, and it would create incredibly strained relationships between the governing bodies. Should the measure be rejected, I would work with everyone in Buckhead to ensure the City of Atlanta does all that we can to identify measurable goals and objectives and not only meet but exceed those expectations. The overarching goal should be to move the city forward in a collaborative manner. In the end analysis, so goes Atlanta, so goes metro Atlanta — to include Buckhead as it stands now as well as the proposed City of Buckhead. No city, town or local government entity is an island and should not operate as such. There are shared constituencies across Atlanta who should not have competing agendas but rather coordinated, integrated agendas to move the entire city, metro Atlanta area and state forward.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Affordable Housing is critical to the economic vitality of Atlanta. I will support legislation that promotes a healthy mix of housing options to include affordable rental homes, single-family homes, duplexes and communities for seniors to ensure opportunities for all. I will prioritize the development of a Post COVID Recovery Plan to help legacy residents overcome obstacles with respect to rising housing costs and taxes. Small businesses are struggling to recover and retain personnel, and housing evictions are expected to skyrocket as protections expire.

We must find new creative ways to engage, empower, educate and employ our youth to build the next generation of leaders. I will engage our business leaders and community stakeholders to ensure that all of our youth have access to quality mentoring, vocational training and employment opportunities to include a fair, livable wage.

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

I spent the majority of my career as an Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff to many of Atlanta's top business leaders, including several years working with Coretta Scott King. I feel that I have been preparing for this role all my life — understanding the politics of a situation, being strategic, intuitive and collaborative yet decisive, anticipating the needs of others and exercising sound judgment based on those needs. I was one of the most sought-after Executive Assistants across the city, and I'd like to think that was in part due to my commitment to continuously improve, avoid shortcuts and tell the truth — even when it is uncomfortable.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My uncle wrote to me when I was in college and told me that "one's political party does not mean blind allegiance. Always be respectful of other viewpoints — even when you do not agree. It is very dangerous for any community to depend solely on one political party for health, wealth or prosperity."

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

Atlanta is my home, and I’ve called many communities across this city home. From Southwest Atlanta to Downtown to Midtown to Buckhead — I’ve worked, lived, played and raised my family in these communities. I truly love that Atlanta has been a village where neighbors care, visitors come to have a good time, and diversity and inclusion reign supreme. However, I have been compelled to run for Atlanta City Council because I have been disheartened to see the city we love and the communities in which we live being diminished.

I am pleased to have received the endorsements of AFSCME (Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees) and FPSE (Federation of Public Service Employees) as well as Ambassador Andrew Young. I currently serve as a member of the L.E.A.D. Advisory Council, Chairperson of the Buckhead-Atlanta Associate Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Inc., and am a member of Pace Cetters, Inc. I've been married to my husband, Patrick, for 12 years. We attend The Enon Baptist Church and share four adult children who are all graduates of Atlanta Public Schools. We reside in Midwest Cascade with our rescue pups, Hugo & Finesse.

Thank you for your consideration and your support. I would love to have your vote on Tuesday, November 2!