Richard N. Wright

COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated economic disparity in Atlanta. What are your plans to promote economic opportunities for all people in our city? How do you plan to ensure this growth is shared by all, especially historically marginalized groups?

My administration will create the SBD (Small Business Department) that will partner with business associations in each city council district to help streamline business license/permit processes. A business will be able to apply for a temporary permit based on industry type. Each industry is different and my administration will acknowledge and create an optimal process strategy for each industry. A permit processor with industry knowledge will process applications to expedite the process. My administration will also create a 100 for 100 program. The program will raise $100 million in capital for 100 minority-owned businesses through P3 (Public, Private, Partnerships) with Private Equity, Venture Cap and corporate America. A 100 for 100 is a comprehensive plan to create employer minority companies in Metro Atlanta. We must address opportunities for minorities to own businesses in the communities they live in to combat systemic poverty which leads to systemic crime.

Atlanta’s population has seen steady growth over the past few years, and many have noted that this growth has pushed members out of their communities. What are your plans to increase affordable housing availability?

My administration will act to revitalize communities, not to gentrify them. Revitalization is when the community residents have a seat at the table in the initial plans on community growth. Gentrification is when the community doesn’t get a seat at the table. Revitalize is when economic opportunities in developing communities are equitable and inclusive. My administration's My LOAN My Home program will help create opportunities for people to purchase homes by using data. Rental history should be included in an applicant’s credit score. What better indication of how a person will pay rent, then to analyze their rental payment history? I am a CPA, and I believe in using data to make good decisions. My administration also will work with developers on a Legacy Partnership Program. Developers can offer equity in the building they are developing to legacy residents. Atlanta needs a Mayor who understands how to negotiate in financial terms that make sense for both parties and get it done early in the process so our communities can be revitalized and not gentrified. My administration will make Affordable living a reality in Atlanta.

Do you support the Atlanta Homeless Union’s 4 demands - for “housing, healthcare, water, and a seat at the table” - and if so, how do you plan to meet these demands as mayor?

My administration will create a program call TIBIS (Transferring Individuals Back Into Society). The 24 month program designed to reintroduce our homeless society back into society. The city of Atlanta has over 876 acres of land that is not being used. My administration will use some of the city’s non operational property to house our homeless population to facilitate the program. The program will offer mental health evaluations, physical testing, and life skills building programs to the homeless. TIBIS will do more than meet Atlanta’s Homeless Union demands, it will help people become one with society again.

In the wake of all these natural disasters occurring nationwide, what is your plan to make Atlanta more resilient to the effects of climate change? Do you support declaring a climate emergency?

My administration will create an office of sustainability and an office of infrastructure to create a SmartATLANTA. Combating climate change requires us to strategically implement programs and make sound investments in climate control infrastructure. My administration will set a goal of lowering the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2025. My administration will join the 24/7 Carbon Free Energy Compact. The city of Atlanta will also communicate with stakeholders on our climate control goals and achievements. As Mayor, my administration will release a quarterly ESG report highlighting what we are doing to improve Atlanta’s green infrastructure, where we are in my mission to lower greenhouse emissions by 25% by 2025 and how we are addressing Atlanta’s current resiliency plan to modernize the way we address climate related natural disasters. The Office of Sustainability will work with the EPA and GDEP by sharing data and progress we make at each level of government. My administration will also require businesses that contract with the city to give ESG reports and grant contracts to green developers that want to come into the city and build. My administration’s willingness to disclose the city’s ESG position quarterly, will make it easier to obtain Mutual Green Fund investments. My administration will do more than declare a climate emergency, Atlanta will create a climate control policy, actively advance, cultivate and invest in clean energy and be a world leader in climate control.

The health of all persons, including immigrants and incarcerated populations, matter. During the pandemic, we’ve witnessed COVID-19 outbreaks in prison and ICE detention facilities. As mayor, how will you ensure that the health of these individuals are maintained and held to the appropriate standards?

My administration will lead in our advocacy for COVID 19 testing and vaccination for our citizens. My administration believes in science and trusts our national scientific community. My administration will review our policies and update them as we learn more about COVID 19. My administration will require all city detention centers to follow city protocol around COVID-19 mandates. I would implement a weekly vaccination drive where inmates will be able to get vaccinated and their cards will be held with their personals for when they get released.

The pandemic has further exacerbated the opioid crisis. What measures would you implement to decrease opioid deaths and the spread of infectious disease among people who use drugs in Atlanta? Further, what harm reduction policies would you implement more broadly?

My administration will partner with the health care community to create a paradigm moving forward. My administration will look at how opioids are getting into the communities, what areas are being hit the hardest and how they are prescribed. Doctors need to only give opioids in a severe case and ration the number out for consumption. Pharmacies need to keep high-schedule class drugs in an additional lock away. My administration will also ask APD to create a plan to address the opioid crackdown issue.

Racial justice, particularly in the context of the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements, has been central to our city’s discourse in the past year. How would you address hate crimes and discrimination as mayor?

The Brooking Institute analyzed 17 large US cities and found Atlanta to be the most racially segregated city. The home of the civil rights movement is now one of the most racially segregated cities in America. My administration will make tackling this phenomenon one of our most important priorities, by working with Racial Justice organizations, NPU leadership, religious leaders and thought leaders. I will personally host monthly cross district town halls so citizens can talk to citizens. We will work on policies and best methods to promote racial harmony together. My administration will take ideas and methods learned and advocated by citizens, along with ideas from civil and religious leaders around diversity and put together a presentation that will be presented at public libraries and civic centers around the city for citizens to stop in and learn for free. I will also work with APD to implement full enforcement on hate crimes.

The Atlanta City Council recently voted to move forward with a lease to the Atlanta Policing Foundation for the construction of a police training facility, called “Cop City”. Do you support this move, and what is your stance on public safety and policing more generally?

I believe this is a classic example of city leadership not communicating and engaging citizens in a long discussion about an important policy. Without proper discussion and debate, the facility decision seems like another top-down decision made by a few stakeholders. Violent crime in Atlanta has increased over 40% and 2020 was a record breaking year for homicides. Crime has gotten to a point where part of Atlanta (Buckhead) wants to leave Atlanta. At the same time minority citizens feel like their voices haven’t been heard.

My administration would have held 9 town hall meetings to properly discuss and receive citizen feedback on the new public safety facility. My administration would have analyzed all material data and discuss the benefits of the facility with Atlanta residents. My administration would have highlighted the following important facts and strategy behind the decision. The facility is a training center for 1^st responders not just for APD. The sales tax collected from purchasing materials for construction will help to offset the 1 million dollars in city expenditures during construction. My administration would have highlighted our Minority Contractor Program that would have explained the building costs and how 50% of labor cost dollars would be spent with minority contractors and the key performance indicators used in analyzing cost to make sure the dollars were spent with minority contractors. After opening the city can lease out space to other police departments in the southeast. The revenues collected will more than offset the 1 million dollar city expenditure. This new facility should be seen as a rebirth and opportunity to build ADP/citizen relationship by implementing better training, de-escalating situations policies and police public relations training. My administration will promote NPUs and other civic leadership to visit and bring citizens to the facility. As a leader you must lead. The relationship between the Mayor and the citizens needs to be rebuilt. Some residents are never going to like APD or want any resources going to them at all. Communicating with people is about building trust, establishing respect and communicating with the community. Atlanta leadership must get back to leading.