Candidate Profile: Todd A. Gray 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.

Todd A. Gray is running for Atlanta City Council Post 1 At-Large.

Age (as of Election Day)

40

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

None

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

None. First-generation candidate.

Education

BA — Devry University
MBA — Keller Williams School of Business Management

Occupation

National DEI Executive - 20 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Vice-Chair of Ethics for the City of Atlanta

Campaign website

www.Toddagray.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking elected office to improve the lives of the people of our wonderful city of Atlanta. For nearly two decades, I have worked in the trenches to see lasting progress in the areas that matter. I believe that servant leadership is contagious and inspires the type of action that shifts communities - to lead with proven experience, ethics and solutions.

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

Public Safety/Crime: We must hire and train enough officers to place them on the street and in places where they are seen and unseen. We must engage in auxiliary units to handle non-violent crime and traffic, so that our highest trained officers are available for the more severe situations. We must work together to prevent crime as much as we are working to punish our most violent. The City, our justice system, and county partners must collaborate to approach this problem on both fronts. I have worked for the Atlanta Police Department, and I understand the multiple layers of what we are facing. I will be tough on violent crime, but empathetic when dealing with non-emergency or non-violent issues like homelessness and mental health. I am not in support of defunding the police - instead, I am in support of totally re-imagining policing with a community-based approach.

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

The critical difference between myself and the other candidates seeking this office is that I have been doing this work for over twenty years. As the former Vice-Chair of the Ethics board I can bring a new level of responsibility and transparency to the office. As a servant leader in the DEI space, I bring experience opening up closed doors and bringing stakeholders to the table, not for myself but to better the community. As a native of Atlanta, I have a personal interest in the success of this City due to my roots being here for at least three generations. I have the relationships in the public and private sectors to move Atlanta forward, for everyone. I know how to communicate on large scales as well as to everyday voters, in order to hear the needs of everyone and execute in a way that best suits the will of the people.

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

The current At Large Post Representative may have served this city 15 or 20 years ago. However, today the City of Atlanta is dealing with income inequality, gentrification, lack of government transparency, high crime rates, and equity across the board - these issues came to be under his watch, and he has not done anything to change the course we are on.

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

The leadership of this city was faced with a crisis none of us had seen in over 100 years. For that, we must give them credit. We saw the implementation of a mask mandate, quarantine efforts passed down from the federal level, and an attempt to functionally open businesses in a safe way.

However, this approach was not holistic and much was missing, and can still be improved upon. We need more efficient business licensing procedures, we need to build a robust emergency fund to keep citizens in their homes, and businesses afloat, and we need to build these things today. I plan to immediately create and maintain these policies and procedures so we stay prepared for any other unforeseen disasters.

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

There is no one root cause for criminal issues. In regards to violent crime, I believe the main drivers are a mix between repeat offenders being released over and over too quickly, and the long-brewing impacts of Atlanta’s socioeconomic disparities. These causes often compound on themselves to cause deeper issues that we can solve if we improve officer retention and reimagine modern policing with a community focus.

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

I oppose the creation of Buckhead City. Buckhead creating its own City would be a financial disaster for Atlanta, and too much of a time and resource burden for Buckhead City. It takes years for a City to be created, and function properly. It is not in the best interest of anyone for Buckhead to leave Atlanta, and it wouldn’t solve what issues are often pointed to when this matter comes up.

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?

My administration would understand the choice voters in Buckhead make, and work with Buckhead City in whatever way that we can in order to maintain a good relationship. If Cityhood is rejected, we would still be working with the residents to best address and resolve their issues. I am a firm believer in collaboration and know for a fact that even if we disagree as long as we are looking in the same direction, we can make progress.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Equity. Equity means opportunity. With Covid-19, we have seen the lack of equity in our City be highlighted even more during this global crisis. Equity in the cleanliness of our neighborhoods, access to fresh foods and vegetables — as well as opportunity to start a business and earn a living— are lacking throughout our city. As a supplier diversity expert, I know the challenges we face and can work with our City partners in education, business and real estate to provide opportunity for everyone and give the resources to help us succeed together.

Finally, ethics is vital to keeping trust between a city and its people. When our leaders abuse the public trust they erode the ability for the city council to effectively solve the problems facing everyday citizens. As the former Vice-Chair of ethics for the City of Atlanta, I believe that being ethical is our commitment to the people we serve. Those that choose to abuse it do not deserve to be in leadership and service.

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

In my 20 years of leadership and service in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion I have many accomplishments to be proud of. Among them are increasing the diversity spend for Wachovia/Wells Fargo year over year during my time there. I am also proud of the work I did expanding opportunities in supplier diversity at both Grady Health Systems and Kaiser Permanente. I also spent 6 years on the City of Atlanta Ethics Board helping to build trust in city hall and maintain transparency from our city leaders.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

“We must BE the change we want to see. Lead Forth”

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

I am an Atlanta native that wants to see my home, this city move forward and reveal its promise. I believe that everyone that comes into our city deserves to be and feel safe, know their leadership is working for them in an ethical and equitable manner and use all of our resources to solve our cities ills. I have also dedicated my time to bettering my community through service and giving back. Using the connections I have made through business to show young people that their birthplace does not have to determine their destination. I believe my service to this city in my professional and private life has prepared me to step into this role to represent every citizen in Atlanta. I have a record of servant leadership demonstrating how collaboration and the rising tides theory can better Atlanta and beyond.