District 8 Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood said one reason she’s running for reelection later this year is unfinished business regarding a variety of issues.
“We have a lot of important issues in Buckhead right now, now that I am very pleased with our administration,” she said in an interview April 9, the day she sent out a news release announcing her reelection plans. Qualifying is in August, and the election is Nov. 4.
Norwood is a veteran of the council, and her district includes part of Buckhead. She served as the Post 2 at-large council member from 2002-09 before running for mayor in 2009, losing by hundreds of votes to Kasim Reed. Norwood was then elected to the Post 2 slot in 2013 and served in that role through 2017, when she again ran for mayor, losing by hundreds of votes to Keisha Lance Bottoms. In 2021 she won the District 8 election.
Unfinished business
Norwood said the unfinished business includes issues regarding trees, zoning and road repair.
“We have the tree protection ordinance, and the discussions have gone on for several years,” she said of efforts to amend the ordinance. “I’m the only council person who has been involved in all three tree ordinance revisions, with the first in 2002 and the second one in 2013-14 and then this one that’s gone on for several years. I want to see this be adopted in whatever fashion we can get it adopted.”
Public safety is another issue important to Norwood.
“In the first part of this term was the public safety task force that was well attended and well produced,” she said. “We have a new precinct and a mayor who has been very thoughtful about keeping us safe. And that’s always been top of mind for me.”
Sewer system cleanup is another important issue for Norwood.
“I have a task force starting their work,” she said. “That task force has several commissioners from the mayor’s cabinet who will make sure we do the cleanup we need along Peachtree Creek and our major sewer plants. So I want to get reelected to make sure that plan is in place.”
Road repair and traffic are also critical issues for Norwood.
“We need to get all of our streets in a state of repair,” she said. “But we have repaired over 20 streets in my district since I was elected four years ago. … We did not have the kind of maintenance for our roads that we needed over the last decade, and I’m pleased the mayor has addressed that. I have been in conversations with them about the next tranche. Traffic is a big issue, too. The transportation task force, we’re still awaiting the report from the consultant, which is six months behind.”
Norwood also said she plans to use funds she got from the 2021 bond for arts to cover two utilitarian pump stations at Atlanta Memorial Park with landscape photos showcasing the city’s parks.
