About Your Commissioner

DISTRICT 9: 

REFLECTIONS AND LOOKING

FORWARD

A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE BEING ELECTED

COMMISSIONER OF DISTRICT 9 2018. I

WAS EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC WHEN MY COLLEAGUE, MIKE HAMBY COMMISSIONER OF DISTRICT 10, CO-SPONSORED THE PROSPERITY PACKAGE APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY FOR 4 MILLION DOLLARS. THE PROSPERITY PACKAGE WAS CREATED TO ADDRESS POVERTY OlY 02

THE NEEDS OF ATHENS COMMUNITIES WHICH

HAD LONG BEEN OVERLOOKED.

YOUR PROJECT WAS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT WAS FUNDED OUT OF THE ACC FUND BALANCE,

AND PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS WERE TO BE LED BY COMMUNITY WITH THE STAFF'S SUPPORT. THIS INITIATIVE WAS SHORT-LIVED BECAUSE COVID-19 HIT. THE PROSPERITY PACKAGE FUNDS WERE REDIRECTED TO THE RESILIENCY FUND, TO ADDRESS THE COVID CRISIS. THIS WAS THE FIRST EVENT THAT DETOURED DISTRICT 9

WORK. COVID CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE NATION, INCLUDING ATHENS. THE MONIES WERE USED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, FOOD SUPPORT, COVID-19 TESTING VACCINES ETC. TEXT

YOUR PARAGRAPH THE SECOND MAJOR EVENT THAT CHANGED ATHENS AND THE WORLD, WAS THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD BY A POLICE OFFICER, SEEN AROUND THE WORLD. THE CHAOS REAPED PROTESTS AND ANTI-POLICE PROTESTS, AND THE BLACK LIVES CAMPAIGN ACROSS THE

COUNTRY. THE TENSION EVEN DIVIDED THE ACCG MAYOR AND COMMISSION. BUT THE COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE "ATHENS BLACK LIVES MATTER" WHICH I WROTE TO TRY TO BRING SOME HEALING TO ATHENS, BY ACKNOWLEDGING NOT ONLY THE NEEDS OF THE BLACK ATHENS BUT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK ATHENIANS. WE, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NOW FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION IN ATHENS AS ONE OF THE INITIATIVES OF THE ATHENS BLACK LIVES MATTER. A YEAR LATER PRESIDENT BIDEN MADE JUNETEENTH A NATIONAL HOLIDAY. ALSO, DURING THIS UNUSUAL TIME, THE COMMISSION APPROVED THE HUMAN RELATIONS COUNCIL POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS SOCIAL ISSUES IN ATHENS.