Initially, running for Mayor wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. My life was consumed by motherhood, being a business owner, and an employee. Though I always had aspirations to continue my political journey in leadership and hold public office one day, I just didn’t realize that time would be now.
Since about April I had been paying attention to the upcoming mayoral election and going back and forth with myself on whether it would be the right time to run. Throughout this time, I had began to reach out to prominent people within my community to get some guidance on whether I should run. Though everyone felt that I was the perfect candidate, I was unsure if it was time.
After some time with God and taking a look at my opponents, I felt like I would be doing the city of Brookhaven a disservice by not deciding to run for Mayor. With my background in the political arena, criminal justice, business, public health, and being a servant leader, I know that I am best equipped for the job.
By being the best equipped for the job, I will also be the most transparent, have integrity, and truly work for the people of the city and not for my own personal or career aspirations.
You know when I first began talking about why I was running and the issues that were most important to me, I talked a lot about the lack of resources in the city for residents. Ive met so many different families that have been displaced and affected by the rising costs of rental fees and the cost of everything else around them including groceries, gas, utilities, and basic necessities.
Now I can’t say that I will change these things immediately when I enter office, but what I will do is partner with agencies, organizations, and other local leaders to create resources to be able to mitigate these costs for so many families that’s just looking for a moment of reprieve.
Since January 2023, 72,600 evictions have been reported in the metro Atlanta area. In June alone, 11,159 evictions occurred, with the eviction process typically happening within 24 hours- 60 days. This has been devastating for most families in the metro area, including in Brookhaven. The state minimum wage is $5.15 an hour, with the federal minimum wage still hanging low at $7.25 an hour. But a salary of at least $50,000 is necessary to live in Brookhaven. But when you add in the cost of childcare, food, and God forbid any medical issues, you’re living paycheck to paycheck or worse.
Let’s say you had to miss work because you or your child fell ill, your paycheck is smaller, now you’re left making a choice between food for your family or rent. Making the choice to feed your family instead of paying your rent could potentially have you and your loved ones out on the street. This isn’t a decision that people of this city should have to make.
Over the last few years, the city of Brookhaven has seen an increase in its homeless population. It’s not shocking since the cost of rent has gone up 31% in the metro area in the last 5 years.
As your Mayor for the next 8 years, I plan to change this. I want to put the proper resources in place where they truly belong to help the people of this city. The people that’s built this city.
You know I met with the current Mayor the other day and the realization of his ineffectiveness was realized. One of the responsibilities of a Mayor is to help its residents to thrive. He told me, blatantly that covering and assisting the thousands of residents that are facing eviction was not the city’s responsibility. And that resources to residents will remain limited until an annexation takes place.
I would hope that the citizens of Brookhaven would want a Mayor that’s impassioned when it comes to community and not one that would rather have conversations and broker deals behind closed doors without input from the community, like the current mayor.
Comments