Candidate Profile: Maggie Goldman For Fulton County Commission District 1

FULTON COUNTY, GA — Four candidates qualified for Fulton County Commission District 1 seat in the May 24 General Primary/Special Election.

Maggie Goldman of Johns Creek is running for Fulton County Commission District 1 against Bridget Thorne, Matthew C. Tyser and Ricky Blalock. There is no incumbent since Fulton County Commissioner Liz Hausmann isn't running for re-election. She announced Jan. 25 that she wouldn't seek a fourth term, reported Appen Media.

District 1 consists of Northeast Fulton, which includes the four cities east of Georgia 400, Johns Creek, East Alpharetta, East Roswell and Sandy Springs.

May 24, 2022 General Primary/Special Election sample ballots are available for review at the Georgia My Voter Page. Enter your information in order to access a personalized sample ballot.

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

Name

Maggie Goldman

Campaign website

https://www.maggie4fulton.com/

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

Maggie was raised in Warwick, RI and graduated from Pilgrim High School. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Trinity University in Washington DC and a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from Assumption College in Worcester Massachusetts.

Occupation

Realtor - 9 years

Family

Maggie Goldman, her husband David and their son 2-year-old Matthew live in Johns Creek, near Newtown Park.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

N/A

Age

37

Previous public office, appointive or elective

N/A

Why are you seeking this office?

I decided to run because the seat has never been challenged by a Democrat and the numbers are favorable for the seat to flip. We deserve a commissioner that is going to work to prevent the State from taking over our election board (our current commissioner has been putting our elections at risk of this) and focus more intently on homelessness and housing issues in North Fulton.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most urgent challenge is that the commission funds Fulton Co elections. The state is right now in the process of evaluating Fulton elections and seeking a legitimate way to take over our elections board. The current D1 commissioner has consistently voted against election funding needed to operate our elections. It was so dire in July 2021 that the Elections director sent letters to the cities that they would have to perform their own elections in Nov 2021 if county funding was not passed at that meeting July 15. Fortunately, the funding did eventually pass, but we can only assume our current commissioner was trying to put Fulton elections in a position to be so vulnerable it would be taken over. We need a commissioner that will work to protect Fulton elections from the state Elections board.

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

I am the best candidate for the Democratic primary because I announced last April, 2021 and have been working since then to educate North Fulton Democrats on the role of the commission, the issues that are important to us and organizing them to provide public comment to advocate for those issues.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

It is an open seat but what I wrote for the most urgent issue is my main point against her.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

The next urgent challenge I see is the lack of focus from the county on homelessness and housing insecurity issues. 1 in 3 residents in North Fulton do not make the $70-80K needed to live here. I’ve been interviewing local homeless serving organizations and even joined the board of one recently (Family Promise) to see where the gaps are and how Fulton can help. Right now we make a standard community service grant to our local organizations but we aren’t making a concerted effort. The gaps I have identified are: a lack of organizations able to help families pay for extended stay hotels; a need for further rapid rehousing funds which provides a security deposit & 3 months rent to a rental; and case management for residents of extended stay hotels.

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

I was motivated in part to run for Fulton County Commissioner based on my experience helping hundreds of residents since 2015 in Fulton & DeKalb appeal their property tax assessments. I discovered that while technically the process is available to homeowners, they often don’t know about it at all or are intimidated by the process. Maggie has advocated for protecting the rights of homeowners through attendance at Board of Assessors meetings, engaging with department staff and participating as a member of Chairman Robb Pitts “Homestead Exemption Task Force” in 2018.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I believe in the Senator Paul Wellstone quote “We all do better when we all do better,” meaning that we have a responsibility to ensure resources are distributed equitably across the county so that every resident has the opportunity to thrive.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

• Fully fund staffing for our voting locations to offer an accessible, equitable, and efficient elections process to prevent a Republican state takeover.
• Provide adequate funding for residents facing home insecurity & affordability concerns
• Install water meter sensors to allow for early detection of water leaks
• Ensure accurate property assessments and make the tax appeal process more accessible
• Fully fund diversion programs to prevent police involvement and provide needed resources to residents facing mental health concerns
• Work collaboratively with Fulton cities and ensure residents receive the full value of county services offered