Candidate Profile: Keisha Waites 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.

Keisha Waites is running for Atlanta City Council Post 3 At-Large.

Age (as of Election Day)

48

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Furbabies: Sandi-9 Mom, Grand-dogs: Brittany 3 and Paris 3

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government: Senior Executives in State and Local Government Leadership Program. Georgia Southern University, Georgia Perimeter College majored in Criminal Justice and Political Science. University of Georgia - Carl Vincent Institute: Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators and Georgia Legislative Leadership, Georgia State University - Andrew Young School of Policy Studies: Legislative Health Policy Certification Program.

Occupation

Small Business Owner- 20 years, Emergency Management-15 years, General Assembly-3-terms

I have been a small business owner in Atlanta for over two decades providing affordable housing to veterans and working families. I served in government for 19 years working at the local, state, regional and federal levels.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Former State Representative, House District 60, 3-terms

Campaign website

www.keishawaites.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Atlanta City Council-Post 3-At-Large-Citywide
The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

COVID changed the way people live, work and play. One of the results is that our mix of commercial, office, industrial and residential needs have changed. Our city is at a crossroads. The biggest issue facing Atlanta residents is not limited to one issue! It is a mixture of quality of life concerns. For some it’s crime, for others, it’s housing and food insecurity, while for others it’s inconsistent city services such as trash removal and repairs to roadways and sidewalks. All of these issues are interrelated, so focusing on just one doesn’t really tackle the whole problem.

When nurses, teachers, police, EMTs, hairdressers, young professionals, restaurant and retail workers can’t afford to live in the areas they serve, we have a housing affordability problem.

What’s “affordable” is going to change from area to area throughout the city depending on what the people who need to work in that area make, or how far they have to travel from work to a home with a mortgage or rent they can afford.

I support updates to zoning codes, and increasing and incentivizing the supply of duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes and attached apartments, especially in areas close to public transportation or in walkable neighborhoods. Changing zoning to allow multi-unit housing provides “invisible density” that increases affordable housing supply but is relatively indistinguishable from single-family houses. Cities need a variety of housing options and styles to develop the vibrant, diverse neighborhoods that older cities like Boston and New Orleans are known for

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

Our city is at a crossroads. Having existing relationships and legislative experience will be critical to tackling many of the issues we are facing such as: Corruption creating a lack of public trust, increasing violent crime and traffic congestion. I’m running for a citywide post because as a native of Atlanta, I am outraged with the spiking crime and violence permeating our city.

I am the only candidate in the race that has successfully served 3-terms in a legislative capacity. It is my belief, given the challenges we are facing citywide, we must have a representative that has the experience and relationship to navigate the current volatile political current. Secondly, given the adversarial role between the state of Georgia and the City of Atlanta, I have the capacity to serve as an olive branch and conduit to improving relations.

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

I offer no criticism of the current seat holder. I think Councilman Andre Dickens has done a great job. I wish him and the other candidates well in their bids for Mayor.

I’m running for a citywide post because as a native of Atlanta, I am outraged with the spiking crime and violence permeating our city. One of the biggest challenges our city faces is the need to eradicate the “Pay to Play” culture that has permeated for many decades. Until we put an end to nepotism and cronyism city hall will remain toxic and plagued with scandal. We must change the existing culture and create a focus on responsiveness, service, and stewardship of public resources. One of the most important tasks for the Mayor and Council is to assure residents that their tax dollars are being spent wisely. Public trust and integrity are essential for our city to thrive, attract new industry, new commerce and new residents.

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

Given the challenges and varying responses between the (state) Governor and the (city) Mayor, I think the city of Atlanta has done an excellent job in handling the pandemic, especially with the challenges handed down from the state-level government. Our ICUs were full, but not overwhelmed, due to the creative use of resources (World Congress Center) which was a major goal early on. It's also a testament to how our mayor's aggressive handling of the pandemic saved lives, both of people who were or could have been infected with COVID, and for people with other medical issues (car accidents, heart attacks, cancer, etc.) who have been able to continue accessing medical care, unlike in other parts of the country where the system is currently overwhelmed.

I would also have liked to see more collaboration between the state and county to streamline resources and protections for frontline workers earlier on. I'd like to see more aggressive education and access to vaccines to battle the Delta variant now, but overall I think our local leaders have done the best they could with the challenges and resources they had to work with.

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

Data proves and indicates violent crime is an issue nationwide and statewide. However, I think we also have mitigating factors that also play a role:
a. Lack of patrol officers — The presence of law enforcement is a deterrent to crime.
b. Citizen/officer ratio — We simply do not have enough officers to address the growing population
c. Lack of mental health funding — Given the federal and state cuts to mental health funding, law enforcement officials are often engaged in issues that should be handled by other agencies and trained mental health staff.
d. Unemployment
e. Lack of access to affordable housing
f. Low morale among APD — Low wages, high turnover, and understaffing make the job more dangerous.

Additionally, homelessness and housing insecurity make education, work, medical care and every other part of normal life more difficult and expensive. I support a broad range of approaches to get people into permanent housing and long-term housing. Permanent supportive housing is a proven strategy that provides affordable housing combined with access to wraparound services as a foundation for recovery and stability for individuals lacking housing who face complex medical, mental health, and/or substance use issues that are co-occurring.

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

Residents in all Atlanta communities share the same concerns as residents who reside in Buckhead. Quality of life issues such as public safety, effective use of taxpayer money, and the future of Atlanta as a cohesive city affect everyone.

Buckhead residents are justifiably frustrated at corruption in previous administrations, wasted funds, lack of communication and transparency, and a spiking crime rate. I am too, which is why I’m running. Given the cost to create a new government and infrastructure, I do not believe that annexation is the best solution. However, I fully support the communities right to decide.

I believe the Buckhead cityhood movement has come about because residents and business owners do not feel their concerns are being heard or addressed. This is a communication and action problem that never should have happened. As a citywide representative, I will make it my priority to be an effective conduit between Buckhead residents and city government. We have an opportunity to set the city on a new path with the Nov 2 election to select a new Mayor and council.

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?

One of the most important tasks for the Mayor and Council is to assure residents that their tax dollars are being spent wisely, with a focus on providing quality services. These services include public safety: fully staffing our police department, infrastructure planning and maintenance.

We are elected to deliver results. If trust is faltering, that means residents aren’t receiving the services they expect. Public trust and integrity are essential for our city to thrive, attract new industry, new commerce and new residents.

I'd respond to the creation of Buckhead City the same way I tackle any challenge. Determine the current facts (not the noise), figure out what needs to get done, plot a course and start executing. If we can't address the current concerns with the new incoming mayoral administration and Buckhead does decide to split off, there will be a period of negotiations to disentangle everything including schools, parks, maintenance responsibilities, etc. I expect that will be a longer process than people expect. Once those negotiations are complete and any agreements signed, then we'll have a better picture of the situation and move forward from there.

Government needs to work, and it needs to work for everyone. One of the main reasons I'm running for a citywide City Council post is so that I can make sure that all of Atlanta moves forward in unison towards common goals. It's very frustrating to see that both the north and south sides of Atlanta feel equally ignored. I want to fix that.

If elected, I will propose and support legislation that all City of Atlanta employees abide by a much-needed, updated and revised Employee Code of Ethics along with strict, actionable penalties for violating the code.

I fully support any and all measures designed to bring openness, oversight, and accountability to any use of funds and resources by city employees. Previous administrations were able to waste taxpayer money on personal expenses precisely because the use of those funds was not transparent. That lack of transparency needs to end immediately.

We also need to review and correct any communication gaps between residents and city services. The Atlanta 311 program has been extremely successful in tracking and correcting resident-reported issues. It may be time to either expand, simplify or publicize the program so that residents can easily get issues resolved.

Longer-term, one of the first actions taken by the Atlanta City Council should be a detailed review of each City of Atlanta Department, their role in delivering services to residents and businesses, and how they use technology to efficiently identify and respond to service issues. This detailed review should be conducted by a consulting firm with years of experience related to the operation and management of cities. Results from this study would be used as a guide to greatly improve operations.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Public Safety/Violence Prevention

The Atlanta Bureau of Police Services must be fully staffed at all levels as quickly as possible, and the internal structure of the department should be reviewed to make sure it is meeting the demands of our residents and the needs of our officers as effectively as possible.

There should be wider and more efficient use of technology to prevent crime and to identify and arrest perpetrators. I support the expansion of security cameras and automated license plate recognition systems where needed, and the use of other technologies such as the ShotSpotter system (currently in testing by APD) which allows officers to identify the location of gunshots in real-time.

Attrition and Compensation
We must hire more officers and address our attrition rate. We are losing top talent to neighboring cities and counties. For this reason, we must take a hard look at compensation! In order to retain top talent and recruit high-quality officers, we must pay them at a competitive rate. Officers should not be forced to live in neighboring cities and counties because they can't afford to reside in the city. Finally, officers are currently working multiple jobs in order to manage on lower wages and earnings. I fully support restructuring the benefits and compensation plan for APD.

2. Restoring Public Trust: Transparency and Ethics

One of the biggest challenges our city faces is the need to eradicate the current “Pay to Play” culture that has permeated for many decades. Until we put an end to nepotism and cronyism city hall will remain toxic and plagued with scandal. Public trust and integrity are essential for our city to thrive, attract new industry, new commerce and new residents.

As a city-wide City Council representative, I will propose and support legislation that all City of Atlanta employees abide by a much-needed, updated and revised Employee Code of Ethics along with strict, actionable penalties for violating the code.

3. Regional Transit Solutions

During my tenure in the General Assembly, I served on the transportation committee sponsoring the authorizing legislation to bring high-speed rail to Georgia. That legislation effectively advocates for regional transit expansion.

As we explore solutions to regional transit problems, I will be utilizing existing relationships to solicit regional financial assistance from the federal DOT, the State of Georgia, Fulton County, and other service recipients.

4. Affordable Housing

By far, one of our biggest untapped potentials for economic development and growth is the south side of Atlanta. It’s close, there’s a lot of land, and the opportunities there are endless.
We need to finally make an honest, robust and concerted effort to drive development south of I-20. The returns for the rest of the city will be huge.

Redeveloping vacant public lands can be a key tool in increasing the supply of affordable housing through a number of different tactics. Land swaps, public/private development, and public development can all add to our housing supply. Other cities and organizations have experimented with holding long-term land leases, thereby reducing the cost of a house by eliminating the land price. This is another avenue we can explore to create more affordable housing, either directly or by working with private developers.

In partnership with HUD and the state of Georgia, the city can re-invest in bank-owned and foreclosed multi-family housing units that have been abandoned or condemned due to high water bills.

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

In Feb 2012, I was elected to the Georgia General Assembly as State Rep. for District 60, where I served 3-terms. I had the privilege of serving on the Public Safety, Transportation, and Juvenile Justice committees, and was responsible for vetting legislation and policy

I have been a small business owner in Atlanta for over two decades providing affordable housing to veterans and working families. I served in government for 19 years working at the local, state, regional and federal levels. I have existing relationships and intimately understand how to move important policy issues through all levels of government.

I believe that my diverse qualifications and experience, which includes decades of community involvement throughout the city, my service in the state legislature, and my proven background in crisis management and problem-solving combine to uniquely qualify me to serve.

During my tenure in the legislature, I served as a state-wide advocate and champion of anti-bullying legislation. I am proud to have authored and sponsored HB 40 comprehensive legislation addressing bullying. This work received the support and endorsement of the nationally renowned law firm Montlick and Associates and a plethora of national Anti-Bullying organizations.

Serving 15 years in emergency management, I take tremendous pride in working on behalf of those who sacrifice and put their lives at risk to protect and serve. For this reason, I authored HB 54, the Fallen Hero Bill, to support families by providing tuition assistance to the children of law enforcement killed in the line of duty. HB 54 passed both the House and the Senate unanimously in March 2016. I consulted and worked closely with the families of fallen hero’s to ensure they had the opportunity to provide input. HB 54 was signed into law in May of 2016 by Governor Nathan Deal. This work lead to my being named the 2015 Legislator of the year by the Georgia State Firefighters’ Association and the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs.

A tireless champion of underserved communities, my most monumental action as a
legislator is authoring and sponsoring HB 18, legislation that ensures accessibility for the disabled and visually impaired. HB 18 was the catalyst that prompted the Georgia Building Authority to adopt and implement HB 18 as internal agency policy, requiring that the State Capitol and legislative office buildings now be equipped with tactile and braille placards and be fully wheelchair accessible and ADA compliant.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

“Not one single piece of legislation will change people’s hearts and minds. However, we can elect competent leaders that have the heart to change policy to benefit and serve people."

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

I have dedicated my entire professional career to helping people and trying to improve our city. During my 3-term tenure in the Georgia General Assembly, I served on both the public safety and transportation committees responsible for approving and vetting legislation.

I’m running for a citywide post on the Atlanta City Council because I’m tired of, poor quality services being provided, money being wasted, and flat-out corruption. There’s a real opportunity to position our city to equitably manage and capitalize on the growth that’s coming.

I feel I can help the most people by influencing the policies and legislation governing how the city operates and making sure services are delivered. I have the experience, legislative knowledge, and connections at the local, state and federal levels necessary to get the job done. seeing the concerns of residents constantly being ignored