Atlanta Business Coalition Releases City Candidate Evaluations

The Committee for a Better Atlanta (CBA), a nonpartisan committee representing more than 20 of Atlanta’s influential businesses and civic organizations, released its Consumer Reports-style evaluations today of the candidates running for Mayor and City Council. The CBA Voter Guide rates candidates on business issues important to the community-at-large.

CBA is empowering constituents to make better voting decisions by providing clear evaluations of each candidate. CBA is an independent organization comprised of members from Atlanta-focused business organizations and large employers in the area engaged in city hall and industry issues. Notable committee members include the Atlanta Board of Realtors, the Georgia Beverage Association and Delta Airlines.

CBA members screened all candidates with a focus on issues including economic development, infrastructure, homelessness and public safety. Addressing these business and civic issues will help Atlanta maintain business and create a sustainable community.

“The role of business in the government is important to Atlanta and we want to make sure that is reflected in November’s elections,” said A.J. Robinson, chair of the 2013 CBA process. “The issues that impact businesses, impact residents and the CBA wants to ensure that the 2013 elections result in what is best for the city. We evaluate the candidates and their platforms with the goal of helping all voters make informed decisions when they step in the voting booth.”

CBA is pleased to report that 30 out of 40 candidates participated in our process. Each candidate in the race received a questionnaire to fill out based upon the issues identified. The candidates also participated in an in-person interview held at the Marriott Marquis. The candidates were scored on the interviews and that score was combined with questionnaire responses for a total score.

Committee members used a scale for scoring the responses to the questionnaires and the interviews, and an average was calculated for each candidate: 88 or higher is considered “excellent;” 79 to 87 is “well qualified;” 70 to 78 is “average;” and below 70 is “not qualified.”

CBA strives to make the evaluation process as fair as possible across all election categories and only takes into account responses provided to the questionnaire and in the interview process and prior voting records for incumbents. Interviewers were provided extensive training to ensure consistency in evaluating candidates. Finally, any outstanding ethics issues were not addressed by this process as the City of Atlanta Ethics Committee has its own process for addressing those issues.

The following are the scores for each candidate:

M. Kasim Reed - Mayor - 99 - Excellent

Al Bartell - Mayor - 75 - Average

Glenn Wrightson - Mayor - 43 - Not Qualified

Fraser Duke - Mayor - N/A - Did not participate

Ceasar Mitchell - Council President - 92 - Excellent

Rachele Fruit - Council President - N/A - Did not participate

Carla Smith - District 1 - 86 - Well Qualified

Robert Welsh - District 1 - 85 - Well Qualified

Bill Powell - District 1 - N/A - Did not participate

Kwanza Hall - District 2 - 83 - Well Qualified

Ivory Young - District 3 - 84 - Well Qualified

Darrion Fletcher - District 3 - 48 - Not Qualified

Patricia Harris- Crayton - District 3 - 53 - Not Qualified

Cleta Winslow - District 4 - 84 - Well Qualified

Torriel "Torry" Lewis - District 4 - 81 - Well Qualified

DeBorah Sister Williams - District 4 - N/A - Did not participate

Natalyn Archibong - District 5 - 91 - Excellent

Matt Rinker - District 5 - 85 - Well Qualified

Christian Enterkin - District 5 - 71 - Average 

Jon Jones - District 5 - 71 - Average

John Paul Michalik - District 5 - N/A - Did not participate

Alex Wan - District 6 - 93 - Excellent

Tracey Austin - District 6 - 68 - Not Qualified

Mike Boyle - District 6 - N/A - Did not participate

Howard Shook - District 7 - 91 - Excellent

Bobby Montgomery - District 7 - 77 - Average

Abid Haque - District 7 - N/A - Did not participate

Yolanda Adrean - District 8 - 89 - Excellent

Felicia Moore - District 9 - 88 - Excellent

Duwon Robinson - District 9 - 54 - Not Qualified

Ricardo Mosby - District 9 - N/A - Did not participate

Clarence T. Martin - District 10 - N/A - Did not participate

Keisha Lance Bottoms - District 11 - 91 - Excellent

Ron Shakir - District 11 - N/A - Did not participate

Joyce Sheperd - District 12 - 89 - Excellent

Michael Julian Bond - Post 1 At-Large - 91 - Excellent

Aaron Watson - Post 2 At-Large - 95 - Excellent 

Mary Norwood - Post 2 At-Large - 86 - Well Qualified 

H. Lamar Willis - Post 3 At-Large - 92 - Excellent

Andre Dickens - Post 3 At-Large - 83 - Well Qualified 

Additional information will be available on the Committee for a Better Atlanta website www.committeeforabetteratlanta.org. CBA encourages its members to distribute the guide to their employees.

CBA has evaluated candidates for elected offices since 1997. This year’s CBA members include:

Americas Mart

Atlanta Apartment Association Atlanta Board of Realtors

Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors

Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau Atlanta Hotel Council

Atlanta Restaurant Council

Atlanta Licensed Beverage Council Buckhead Business

Association Buckhead Coalition

Building Owners & Managers Association

Business Wise Incorporated Central Atlanta Progress

Council for Quality Growth Delta Air Lines

GE Energy

Georgia Beverage Association Georgia-Pacific Corp.

Georgia Power Co.

Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association

McKesson

Turner Broadcasting System

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For more information, please visit www.committeeforabetteratlanta.org.