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Decaturish invited all candidates running in the Nov. 2 municipal election to submit up to three letters on their behalf. One of the letters could be written by the candidate. Here are the letters in support of District 1 Decatur City Commission candidate Katie Bell.

Dear Decaturish,

I’m excited to endorse Katie Bell as District 1 Commissioner for the City of Decatur.

I first met Katie in December 2019 at our local homeowners’ association meeting.  Her willingness to tackle challenging issues with knowledge and energy helped lift our group. It brought a spirit of progress! The property has been enhanced by Katie’s board membership.

As a life-long Decatur resident, I’m psyched that energetic, hard-working, educated people such as Katie, are willing to step up and serve.  Katie is a teacher and counselor. What a different perspective for city government!   Katie is willing to take on the issues that are important for Decatur’s future:  opportunities for all, reasonable housing costs, support for our teachers/police/fire- fighters/city government workers, emergency preparedness, environmental sustainability, and expansion of our tree canopy.

I hope the Decaturish readership will join me in voting for Katie Bell on November 2nd, 2021. We need a person like Katie now!

Sincerely,

Connie Davis Moore

 

Dear Decaturish,

I want to encourage all of my Decatur District 1 neighbors to vote for Katie Bell for City Commission on November 2nd. Katie impressed me the day she stepped up to run. She’s a private practice therapist, a school counselor, and she has a doctorate in Philosophy. She’s an intent listener, and her passion for advocating for others is completely evident when you’re around her. Katie felt a strong call to serve in her city and use her skill set of listening and advocating to help ensure a seat at the table for all Decatur’s citizens, no matter their age, income, or race.

Katie is focused on leading with equity and making it the guiding principle in all the decisions the city makes. It’s important to me that someone like Katie has a seat on the commission. When elected, she will bring a perspective that is currently under-represented. She’s a young professional who lived outside of Decatur proper for several years (not in the 30030 zip code) because she and her husband couldn’t afford to live here. They finally found an affordable 2 bedroom/2 bath condo on Scott Boulevard three years ago, and they love living there and walking downtown for shopping and restaurants. They don’t have kids yet, but they do have 4 jobs between them, and they work hard to strictly budget to pay their mortgage and rising property taxes.

Katie has several friends who work in Decatur, but can’t afford to live here. They regularly drive over half an hour to get to town and then spend even longer driving back home. She’s talked with me about walking in our city’s neighborhoods and seeing smaller older homes being knocked down and replaced with large homes. She’s watched longtime neighbors selling their homes because they can’t afford to stay. She’s seen big trees come down in neighborhoods as homes are renovated or redeveloped. And she’s listened to parents talk about the vanishing diversity in our school’s classrooms. She told me that’s why she’s running. To continue to push for change. To represent those who can’t afford to put down roots here — or those who want to stay, but can’t afford it. She also wants to stand shoulder to shoulder with our new school board members and support them as they choose a new superintendent who will be dedicated to equity in the school system. It takes a strong city hall and a strong school board to retain and attract a diverse community.

Vanishing diversity and an affordable housing crisis are tough problems facing every city in America– but Decatur–with the right kind of dedicated leadership and vision, can find creative solutions. I think it’s important to have Katie Bell’s perspective and vision on the commission. I know Katie will bring her full self to every meeting and will work hard to represent all the voices in Decatur. I wholeheartedly endorse her candidacy and invite my neighbors to vote for Katie Bell. I encourage you to make an effort to meet her face to face soon. Go to her website and join a meet and greet or reach out to her by phone or email. And remember, early voting starts Oct. 12th and Election Day is Nov. 2nd.

– Clare Schexnyder, 20 Year Decatur Resident

More information about voting in the Nov. 2 election: 

Editor’s note: Decaturish and the Tucker Observer have published an Elections Guide, a 76-page e-edition featuring Q&As with nearly every candidate running in our communities. To see it, click here. This special e-edition features candidates running for public office in Decatur, Avondale Estates, Atlanta City Council District 5, Clarkston Tucker and Stone Mountain.  There is a PDF version of this, which you can see by clicking here, but due to the format of this e-edition, we strongly encourage you to use the e-reader version.

All elections coverage can be found at Decaturishvotes.com and Tuckerobservervotes.com.  

Election Day is Nov. 2. Early voting will begin on Oct. 12 and will end on Oct. 29. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 4. To register to vote, click here.

To see a list of important dates in the 2021 election year, click here.

Voters in DeKalb County are eligible to apply for an absentee ballot as of Aug. 16. 

To apply for an absentee ballot:

— Visit the Georgia Secretary of State website.

—  Complete the absentee ballot application using the state’s official paper form. Use black or blue ink only.

Applications can be mailed to the county elections office at this address: DeKalb County Election office, 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur, GA 30032-1239.

Applications can also be submitted by fax, 404-298-4038, or email, [email protected].

Voters may send an absentee ballot request for multiple people who live in the same household in the same envelope or email.

If an absentee ballot is not mailed to you, call DeKalb Elections office, 404-298-4020. You may still vote in person, either early or on Election Day.

An absentee ballot application must be received by Oct. 22.

In accordance with SB202, a new voting bill signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in March, a copy of a voter’s ID is required to apply for an absentee ballot. A Georgia driver’s license, Georgia state ID, Georgia voter card, U.S. Passport, U.S. military ID, employee ID issued by any branch of the federal or state government, tribal ID, or a document verifying a voter’s name and address – including a paycheck, utility bill, or bank statement – are accepted forms of ID.

Early voting begins Oct. 12 and ends Oct. 29. The hours for early voting are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will also be weekend early voting on Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24. Call your elections office for hours.

Beginning Oct. 12, you can participate in early voting at the following locations: 

– Bessie Branham Recreation Center (2051 Delano Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30317)

– Lynwood Recreation Center (3360 Osborne Road NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319)

– Berean Christian Church – Family Life Center (2197 Young Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088)

– DeKalb Voter Registration & Elections Office (4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur, GA 30032)

– Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library (5234 LaVista Road, Tucker, GA 30084)

– Stonecrest Library (3123 Klondike Road, Stonecrest, GA 30038)

– County Line-Ellenwood Library (4331 River Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294)

– Dunwoody Library (5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road., Dunwoody, GA 30338)

For the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding early voting times and locations, visit Decaturishvotes.com and Tuckerobservervotes.com or call 404-298-4020.  

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