What is your name?

Amber Higgins Connor

What office are you running for?

Atlanta City Council, Post 3 At-Large

Are you the incumbent?

No

Upload a headshot/photo of yourself.

Attach your resume or CV.

Tell us more about yourself.

I am a businesswoman and community activist who is the founder and president of Atlanta-based non-profit Concerned Citizens United, which focuses on public safety issues. I am a member of The Carter Center's Ambassador's Circle, served as a U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova during the 1996 Olympic Games and previously served as the security chair for the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods. In 2020-2021, I served on the integrity transition team for District Attorney Fani T. Willis as well as the Ttransition team for Sheriff Patrick Labat. I also served as a member of former Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant's Atlanta Police Citizen Advisory Board. I am involved in helping to beautify Atlanta communities through hands-on volunteer services as a Georgia Master Gardener for more than 15 years. With a passion for the musical arts, I have been a member of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra Chorus for more than 16 years as a vocalist and served as a board member for 3 of those years. I am a Georgia native and longtime resident of Atlanta, I have been married 23 years and am a mother of two vibrant boys ages 10 and 13.

Where did you go to school?

Nettleton High School Arkansas State University (two years) Emory University Continuing Education to earn my Landscape Design Certificate

Campaign Website

amberforatlanta.com

Social Media Links

https://www.instagram.com/amberforatlanta/ https://www.facebook.com/people/Amber-for-Atlanta/61561900657810/

Email

[email protected]

What is your job/occupation?

Owner of Landscape Design company for the last 21 years Rental property owner for the last 15 years

What city/neighborhood do you live in?

I live in Atlanta District 9 on the Westside in the Grove Park neighborhood.

What is your top policy priority if elected? How would addressing this issue make a difference for the people you are seeking to represent and what skills or qualities do you possess that will make you an effective elected official?

Lowering property taxes and help to ensure safer communities. This is not a new priority. This has been my agenda for 17 years. I have fought city leadership for many years and have a clear understanding of the issues and loop holes in city government. I am an equal opportunity offender when it comes to chastening our elected officials. I have been known to criticize both sides of the aisle as well as collaborate with elected officials when they reach out to obtain citizen involvement.

What steps would you take to ensure that your constituents are protected from the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events and rising energy costs?

Strengthen Infrastructure: by advocating for upgrades to local infrastructure to better withstand extreme weather events. This would include things like reinforcing storm water management systems and ensuring buildings are resilient to heat waves and other extreme weather impacts. Community Preparedness: Making sure to partner with emergency services by working to establish a detailed emergency preparedness plan so neighborhoods are more informed and ready to handle disasters with a clearly communicated evacuation plan and routes to take specific to each particular district. Partnering: Partnering with County, State and Federal agencies to collaborate on how our resources cross paths and how we can address Infrastructure and Preparedness together.

What long-term changes or reforms do you hope to achieve during your time in office? How will we know you’re successful?

I hope to continue to reform our public safety sector through crime reduction measures, having targeted accountability of offenders, and continued training of our police and first responders. Success will be measured by lower crime rates, a significant reduction in incarceration rates, and constituents who are gathering in the city with out the fear of being victimized by crime. I also hope to push through property tax reform for a 3 percent cap in an given year.

What steps would you take to increase transportation options for your constituents and how would you fund proposed projects or plans?

I would continue to work with Marta and reestablish regular meetings between the city council and board members of Marta to work together toward future goals and projects that help the city. Looking into proposed alternatives such as the Beltline Rail to make other avenues of connectivity through out the city. I would seek Federal funding for these projects as well as partnerships with other community businesses for other forms of fund raising.

Housing costs in many parts of Georgia continue to rise. What should be done to keep housing affordable? What zoning restrictions, if any, would you reform or eliminate to fuel more housing construction?

The way to keep housing affordable for current home owners and renters is to lower the inflated property taxes and cap the maximum rate increase of taxation to 3% in any given year. Regarding the construction of affordable housing and multi-family units, any zoning restrictions or lifting of restrictions needs to take into consideration each district's constituents and what their needs and desires are. Some districts have a desire and the space for more affordable housing while other may not. So, the question as to what restrictions would I put in place and or eliminate depends largely on the desires of the constituents in each District and how that district will be affected.

How do you plan to ensure that public funds allocated to your office are used efficiently and effectively, and what specific measures would you implement to provide transparency in spending?

First Council needs have a set plan of what projects the money is to be spent on and how much money is going to each project. A compliance officer can be assigned to account for the spending to ensure the proper protocols are being followed. All spending budgets and available funds can be posted and tracked on a public sight so the constituents of Atlanta can track the spending cost as well. The council should also have in place a means by which other Georgia agencies cannot simply take funds from the council district's coffers if they deem it necessary for funding a different project.