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Sharon Gay
Sharon Gay is running for Atlanta Mayor.
Political background
Professional background
Sharon is a lawyer. She currently works as a partner practicing public policy at the law firm Dentons. In this role, she was involved in financing for Ponce City Market, Glenwood Place, Madison Yards, Stockyards, Atlanta Dairies, and Krog Street Market. She was the Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. She previously worked as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Horace Ward and then represented the Georgia Department of Transportation working for the state attorney general's office.
Sources:
11Alive
Personal background
Sharon has lived in Atlanta for 42 years. She grew up in northern Alabama, and she graduated from Vanderbilt University. The impact of the civil rights movement and the women's rights movement using the law to affect social change convinced her to go to law school at Emory. She lives in Inman Park with her husband, Neil Schemm, and their basset hounds Molly and Humphrey. They attend church at St. Luke's Episcopal in downtown.
ON THE ISSUES
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Public Services
- Said about the Buckhead city movement, "they deserve to have their concerns heard. They have valid concerns ... what I would do is show up. I would listen. I would respond to their concerns."
COVID
- Wants to help the city recover economically by establishing a strong - Said, "invite the business community and our business and civic leadership to be a part of the city government, to be part of solutions, to be part of recruiting terrific talent to work in city government."
City Budget
As of August 4, 2021, Sharon Gay’s website did not contain information on this issue.
Sources:
Candidate website
Housing & Urban Development
- Wants to work with the Atlanta Housing Authority to address affordable housing. She said, "almost nothing has been done by the Atlanta Housing Authority in the past 12 years. I would change that immediately."
- Wants to make sure that every neighborhood has decent, affordable housing for residents of all ages.
Public Safety
- Says the increase in crime is the result of a decline in city services, and she wants to provide more resources for social services and mental health to relieve pressure on police officers.
- Plans to improve public safety through better training for police staff, better policing strategies, listening to neighborhood concerns, increasing police pay and incentives, using the city jail to housing Fulton County inmates, and making sure the court system hands out long sentences to offenders.
- Plans to emphasize reviewing body camera footage. -Wants to address crime by partnering with faith communities, philanthropists, business leaders, and neighborhood leaders.
Zoning
- Supports increasing density in residential areas, but only with neighborhood input and with support from local residents.
- Said, "I'm a lawyer. I can't give a yes or no answer" when asked if she would support zoning changes to allow small apartment buildings or second units in single-family residential districts.
Corruption
- Said, "we need a leader who will set the tone for competence, service, and ethics throughout city government."
- Wants to collaborate with experts to come up with a better system for the city to make contracts. When asked what she would do about the contracting system, she said, "I would blow it up."
