Mayor Dickens receives policy playbook from transition committee

Mayor Andre Dickens on Monday was handed a to-do list on creating more opportunities for young people, stamping out City Hall corruption, building stronger neighborhoods and improving public safety.

• The 88-page report is the product of a 40-member transition committee assembled to help the new mayor gauge the thoughts of Atlantans and dream up new policies.

Why it matters: Campaign promises become voter expectations, and external recommendations like this are both a policy playbook and barometer of what the city’s most engaged residents are thinking and feeling.

State of play: The committee spent nearly 11,000 hours interviewing hundreds of community leaders, city employees and experts to form their recommendations.

• Support youth and education: Declare 2023 the “Year of Atlanta’s Youth” and prioritize policies affecting young people; create a fellows program to introduce college and other higher ed students to City Hall; and more.
• Strengthen ethics: Support the newly created Office of Inspector General and the city’s independent ethics officer; prohibit campaign contributions from city contractors; and set the tone at the top; and more.
• Build stronger communities: Streamline ways residents can get building permits, answers and fixes; create an Office of Neighborhoods; promote policies that reduce evictions; and more.
• Improve public safety: Reduce violent crime; address transportation issues on city streets; and address root causes of crime.

Of note: Dickens has announced plans to hire 250 new police officers, add funding for early childhood education and updating procurement.

Yes, but: The recommendations are just suggestions, not necessarily a roadmap of what’s ahead.

What we're watching: The committee worked in parallel to Dickens and his team, Howard Franklin, a committee co-chair, told the AJC, and some of the policies and priorities lined up.

• Sharon Gay, another co-chair, said in a statement that the recommendations were “only the beginning” and the public would have additional opportunities to weigh in.