Brookhaven, GA — Municipal elections are Nov. 7 and there are several candidates running for Brookhaven mayor and the city council.

Our election coverage wouldn’t be possible without our readers. To contribute to our fall fundraiser and support this important work, click here.

Brookhaven has four election districts and the mayor is elected at-large. Voters in Districts 1, 2 and 3 will cast votes for their respective city council seats this fall. All voters in Brookhaven can vote for the mayor. To see a copy of the Brookhaven district map, click here. If you are unsure who is on your ballot, you may find a sample ballot by clicking here to visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.

The deadline to register to vote or change your address is Oct. 10. Absentee ballots will be mailed and advanced voting will begin on Oct. 16. To check your voter registration, click here. For more information on how to register to vote, click here.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 27. Absentee ballots must be turned in by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 7. For more information about absentee ballots, click here.

Decaturish gave each candidate running in the Nov. 7 elections a Q&A. All Decaturish.com elections coverage can be found at Decaturishvotes.com

Here are the responses from candidates running for Brookhaven Mayor and City Council. Not all the candidates responded to our Q&A. The answers have not been edited.

Incumbent City Council Member Madeleine Simmons is running unopposed for the District 3 seat. Decaturish did not receive a Q&A response from Simmons. This article will be updated when her response is received.

Brookhaven Mayor 

Note: In Brookhaven, the mayor is limited to serving two-terms, so incumbent Mayor John Ernst is not eligible to run for reelection. Decaturish also did not receive a Q&A response from Mark Frost. This article will be updated when his response is received.

John Park 

What is your occupation?

Public Health IT consultant – what this actually means is I helped build, and continue to maintain and modernize, the Centers for Disease Control’s system that transmits COVID-19 (and other emerging disease) data across the public health departments of all 50 states and U.S. territories.

What is the neighborhood you call home?

Ashford Park

Can you tell us anything else about yourself or your life that you think is important for voters to know?

When I was a small child in Korea, my family and I had to flee our home as political refugees when a fascist regime placed a death sentence on my father because he was a leader in the pro-democracy movement. We barely escaped. I carry this experience with me, and it influences my approach to civic leadership. Leaders must listen and serve the will of the people, not political parties, special interests or their own egos. Our leaders must be servants first.

My wife, Morgan, wants you to know that I work every day to be a public servant, in its true meaning, to serve the public – whether it be at my job in public health or as a Brookhaven Council member for the past nine years of the City’s ten-year existence. I’m inspired by those directly serving our community, and in turn we both work to serve many grassroots organizations here in Brookhaven. We’ve been a long time supporter of the Ashford Park School Education Foundation as well as the Cross Keys Foundation and the Brookhaven Police Foundation. I regularly volunteer with the Friends of Brookhaven Parks. I am a regular platelet donor in support of cancer patients and we foster rescue dogs regularly from high-kill shelters. We enjoy biking, play recreational soccer with neighbors, and enjoy spending time in our parks and greenspaces.

My parents want you to know that if elected, I would be the first Asian-American Mayor in Georgia.

If you are elected, what are your top two or three priorities?

1. Continue to do more for less. Continue to deliver efficient city services and ensure completion of our current projects at the best value to our taxpayers. I intend for Brookhaven to continue to have the lowest millage rate in all of DeKalb County, continue to secure the highest bond rating in Georgia, and continue to be voted as the best suburban city in metro Atlanta. Brookhaven has been nationally recognized for its innovative public safety department (with the fastest response rates in DeKalb County), continues to be a national model for sustainability efforts, and has a strong track record of completing paving, parks and infrastructure projects on time and within budget. This will continue without delay under my leadership.

2. Stormwater Infrastructure – Although we have addressed major flooding throughout the city with completed projects totaling in the tens of millions of dollars, we continue to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on emergency repairs due to our aging infrastructure that was neglected by DeKalb County for decades. My focus will be to modernize our stormwater infrastructure for the next generation by finding new funding sources (such as GEFA and the Clean Water revolving fund) and replace aging infrastructure while proactively “future proofing” our stormwater facilities with new drainage facilities and regional detention ponds.

3. Connectivity and Greenspace Acquisition – Brookhaven built the model mile of the Peachtree Creek Greenway (and is in the process of building the rest), which will connect to the Atlanta Beltline. Since my first election in 2014, I’ve actively spearheaded this project and have been instrumental in ensuring it gets completed and built in a fiscally responsible way. Part of this strategy was building the new and innovative public safety building on the Greenway that just opened.

Unfortunately at this point, most Brookhaven residents have to drive to the Greenway. We have built, or have the designs for, sections of multi-use paths along Briarwood, North Druid HIlls, Apple Valley, and Ashford Dunwoody roads to connect the Greenway to the rest of the city. With the removal of the restrictions on SPLOST funding next year and the new Special Services District created to finance our new City Hall and Event Center, we have a unique opportunity to connect the individual sidewalks built by new development with our multi-use pathway sections to maximize access and utilization by all Brookhaven residents.

Part of our connectivity strategy involves the continuation of Greenspace acquisition. My very first initiative was preservation through the acquisition of 33 acres of the now known Ashford Forest Preserve. Since then, we’ve acquired 41% more greenspace throughout Brookhaven. Despite our successes, there is much to do. Our goal is for every resident to be within a 10-minute walk of a park or greenspace. Currently there are about 6.5 acres per 1,000 residents. Our goal is to reach the national standard of 8 acres of greenspace per 1,000 residents.

Why are you a better candidate than your opponents?

I have a track record of clearly defining goals and achieving them. I led the efforts to address our stormwater issues, acquire more greenspace, pass a new tree ordinance with a robust reforestation program, and update our zoning code to support balanced development.

And I’ve done it all through innovative funding sources to reduce the tax burden on residential taxpayers, including public-private partnerships, creating special service districts, and securing county, state and federal funding sources, and brokering land swaps. Brookhaven has the lowest millage rate in all of DeKalb County and the City has the rare AAA Bond Rating from both rating organizations. This was all achieved with strong collaboration within the council and with the residents of Brookhaven.

More importantly, I have a history of, and continue to focus on, bringing people together, rather than dividing residents. It is through listening and working together that Brookhaven has become a leader in innovation and excellence in public safety, livability, fiscal responsibility, sustainability and balanced growth.

What is Brookhaven’s greatest strength?

Its residents. We are blessed with incredibly diverse and talented residents. Residents help each other in need, are prolific in engaging civically, and participate together to make our community stronger and more resilient. I enjoy engaging all the various community groups whether it be the sports leagues at Murphey Candler, the diverse festivals along Buford Hwy, or just enjoying our parks with everyone from different backgrounds.

What is Brookhaven’s toughest challenge?

As Brookhaven has become a more desirable location, it has enjoyed unprecedented growth. With growth come challenges such as housing affordability, flooding caused by increased development, and congestion, whether it be throughway traffic or increased commercial traffic. As a council member, I worked hard to address these challenges head-on as referenced in my other responses and will continue to do so as mayor.

The city council recently considered an annexation petition and urged the county to call for a referendum. Do you think the city should still consider expanding its city limits? Why or why not?

I support only expanding to a logical service delivery area that borders Clairmont road to the east and the city of Atlanta to the south. And no more. This is why we called for a referendum.

Nine years ago, at my very first council meeting, Brookhaven had hearings for an annexation application from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Executive Park development. I opposed this annexation as I wanted our brand new city to focus on the acute challenges of starting a city. During the hearings, the biggest concern from the adjacent residents not included in the commercial annexation was that they would not have a voice in decisions or be able to hold decision makers in Brookhaven accountable on issues that impacted their property and neighborhoods.

Although the annexation was approved, I was able to change the city policy to welcome any surrounding residential areas (despite less tax revenue) and assist them to establish logical and fair service delivery areas. It is costly to redraw police beats, assess the needs of the infrastructure, and hire new staff as needed. Thus, we created the Annexation District tax mechanism, where newly annexed residents pay a higher tax rate than the rest of the residents (but lower than their previous DeKalb rate) for a number of years to provide the necessary resources to shore up any service deficiencies in their neighborhoods, such as paving and park upgrades.

Within a few years these annexed residents’ tax rate will equal the rest of the City’s residential rates, as it does now in Lavista Park. Since that CHOA/Executive Park annexation, Brookhaven has had seven successful annexation applications that include a mix of residential and commercial properties. There is an unofficial understanding amongst the current council that we do not engage in “commercial land grabs”.

If the city were to pursue another annexation effort, to what extent do you think it’s the city’s responsibility to verify signatures on a petition and communicate its intentions with residents?

Our hope is that DeKalb County answers our call for a referendum positively. If DeKalb reneges on their promise to allow the public a vote, we will continue to take all necessary steps to vet the application for completion and compliance, in accordance with the governing state law, as we have for this petition, as well as in the previous seven successful annexation petitions. We’ll investigate and deal with any allegations of fraud immediately as we have done from the beginning. Because Brookhaven demanded that petitions be signed in the presence of a notary, even though it is not required by state law, it ensured that any allegation of fraud was readily and easily discoverable.

Several cities and community improvement districts have been working to improve transit across the top end of the county. Would you support adding express lane transit in the city? Why or why not?

Not only do I support it, on the council we have worked towards strategic land acquisitions to aid the development of bus rapid transit throughout the City to connect top end commuters to CHOA, Emory, Pill Hills and destinations on the south end of Brookhaven and beyond.

The city recently launched a comprehensive plan update. What opportunities would like to see in the plan related to future growth?

I see a real opportunity to clearly integrate multi-modal transportation, our city center and Buford Hwy corridor vision, and economic development of aging properties into one clear unified plan that includes affordable housing, supports our culturally diverse population, and provides for future expected growth. Brookhaven will continue to lead on innovative planning and execution.

The Brookhaven Police Department and residents have experienced long wait times for ambulance services. Would you encourage the state to allow the city to establish its own ambulance service? Why or why not?

Currently, Brookhaven is focusing on working with other cities and DeKalb County to improve the overall response times for the entire county. Council gave clear direction to the city staff to find ways to improve ambulance service and have lobbied the state oversight agencies and demanded change. If these efforts are not fruitful, I would support encouraging the state to allow the city to establish its own ambulance service as a last resort.

What is your opinion of DeKalb County Schools?

DeKalb County schools are burdened with unique challenges due to its sheer size, shifting demographics, and historical challenges. Some are critical of their financial transparency and efficacy in providing new facilities. However, I’ve worked hard to partner with our counterparts on the school board, as well as the rest of the school system, to positively affect the lives of our shared constituents.

Several years ago many elementary schools along the Buford Hwy corridor suffered horrible overcrowding that was a serious public health issue for the students. We partnered with DeKalb Schools immediately and executed the land swap which brought about the new John Lewis Elementary school in Brookhaven. This was one of my proudest accomplishments.

We’ve also partnered with other schools in Brookhaven and in particular my neighborhood school, Ashford Park, where we jointly funded with the school board, Brookhaven Parks, and the Ashford Park Foundation to build the turf field for the community and the students. I will always welcome partnerships with the school system to build a stronger community together.

Who will you be voting for to serve on city council?

As a resident of district two in Brookhaven, I am fortunate to personally know both candidates for City Council. If the election were held today, I would vote for Jennifer Owens.

If elected, do you promise to conduct yourself in an ethical and transparent manner? What will you do to promote ethics and transparency in government?

Absolutely. Very early in my first term as council member, I encountered a situation where agents of the city engaged in illegal behavior and violated the open records act. I demanded that the council rectify this and the documents were released after pressure from me and the media. Soon after, the council passed the new Sunshine Policy, which directs all in the city to favor transparency over privileged information, if there is a conflict. I also take pride in Brookhaven’s designation as a City of Ethics by the Georgia Municipal Association.

Promoting ethics and transparency in governance begins with setting an example as a servant leader and put out as much information as possible. However, this information must be presented in a way that the average person can find and understand quickly. When I was on the council, I released a recap of the council meetings in plain English and kept it under a minute to appeal to busy citizens, but they also knew they could reach out to me with they wanted more information or had questions.

If elected, I plan to regularly release “The Mayor’s Minute” to allow busy citizens to understand what’s going on in the city on their terms and not spend time searching for the information available on our website. Accessibility to elected officials is paramount and I have always published my personal cell number and welcome input from all Brookhaven citizens. My number is 404-822-7059.

Lauren Kiefer

What is your occupation?

Attorney/Entrepreneur

What is the neighborhood you call home?

Drew Valley

Can you tell us anything else about yourself or your life that you think is important for voters to know?

I’m a licensed attorney in two states, have experience with residential and commercial real estate including land use and zoning issues, and grew my business from two people in our basement to an organization with an international customer base while raising two children with special needs.

If you are elected, what are your top two or three priorities?

Fiscal Responsibility
Ethics/Transparency/Accountability
Smart & Sustainable Growth

Why are you a better candidate than your opponents?

I’m a better candidate than my opponents because I’m the only person in this race who has led a business, nonprofit organizations, and a city commission. I’m an active alumnus of Leadership Atlanta and Leadership DeKalb, and I’ve recently gone on a ride along with the Brookhaven Police Department as well as participated in our Citizens’ Police Academy. As a result of my involvement in the community, I have an understanding of the workings of our city government as well as extensive contacts in Brookhaven and regionally, which allow me to be able to get to work on Day 1. I’ve spent more than 30 years in business and civic leadership positions, and I’m ready to put those skills to work for Brookhaven to help our city grow into its next 10 years. As mayor, I will always put people over politics, and I will lead Brookhaven in an ethical, transparent way. I will use my business acumen to bring a fiscally responsible approach back to city hall.

What is Brookhaven’s greatest strength?

Brookhaven’s greatest strength is our incredible people! Our community boasts a diverse array of people, talents, and passions who all come from different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, and life experiences –– who all chose Brookhaven for the community we have created.

What is Brookhaven’s toughest challenge?

In my opinion, one of Brookhaven’s weaknesses is our current budget and spending trajectory. Our residents are being left out of big decisions about how to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on a new city hall, we are dipping irresponsibly into the rainy day fund to cover our budget deficit, and Brookhaven’s reputation has been damaged by months of negative news coverage over the failed Annexation debacle. These backroom decisions will cost Brookhaven residents millions of dollars and have damaged our reputation regionally –– this is not the way a mature city should do business and it is critical we repair the damage in order to move forward into Brookhaven’s next 10 years on stable footing.

The city council recently considered an annexation petition and urged the county to call for a referendum. Do you think the city should still consider expanding its city limits? Why or why not?

City leaders have not given residents enough information about the proposed annexation for us to know if it’s a good or bad idea for the future of our city and what the associated costs for such an annexation would be. The city is making decisions without us, and they have not provided any insight into how they intend to provide services to any newly annexed area of such a large size. My approach is different –– before we can decide about the feasibility of annexation, we need to listen, and that’s what I will do as mayor. I want to hear our residents’ thoughts on a decision this big, and I will work with DeKalb County, city leaders, and the community in a transparent and ethical way to determine if any future annexations are in the best interest of Brookhaven.

If the city were to pursue another annexation effort, to what extent do you think it’s the city’s responsibility to verify signatures on a petition and communicate its intentions with residents?

If the city is pursuing annexation by the 60% method, it’s necessary for the city to verify all signatures on petitions. In addition, the city under my leadership will be much more open with our communications and intentions. If the city wants to pursue annexation by referendum, the city needs to outline a plan for associated costs and rollout of services.

Several cities and community improvement districts have been working to improve transit across the top end of the county. Would you support adding express lane transit in the city? Why or why not?

Transit access is very important to me –– in fact, I chose to live in my neighborhood because I can walk to the local MARTA station. The Arterial Rapid Transit (ART) expansion on Buford Highway has been a positive development. Many of our families on the Buford Highway corridor are working class and access to ART is critical for them to make it to their jobs. That said, we need to not only work with our fellow cities but also work with DeKalb to enact the Transit Master Plan, which –– if implemented –– would provide the funding and the roadmap to connect the top end of the county with high-capacity and high-quality transit options.

The city recently launched a comprehensive plan update. What opportunities would like to see in the plan related to future growth?

We need to continue our commitment to sustainable development and the preservation of greenspace in Brookhaven while also working to expand and improve walkability and bikeability to our schools, parts, and activity centers. There is also an opportunity for us to review our current land use policies –– our city is densely populated, but the need for affordable housing is also pressing. We could look at our land use policies and determine the feasibility of allowing more cottage court communities and ADUs in Brookhaven.

The Brookhaven Police Department and residents have experienced long wait times for ambulance services. Would you encourage the state to allow the city to establish its own ambulance service? Why or why not?

DeKalb County is our emergency services provider, and they’re not doing this adequately. Our wait times continue to be substandard and this isn’t acceptable. However, it’s incumbent upon our city leaders to maintain an amicable relationship with the county. Rather than taking an antagonist approach, we should work collaboratively with the county to first determine if they are even aware of the challenges Brookhaven has with our ambulance wait time, and then create a plan to address them. While the idea of the city establishing its own ambulance service is tempting given the current challenges, it’s essential to consider the financial implications. Currently, our city is operating at a deficit, and it’s not clear if we could absorb the costs of a new ambulance service/ Before making any decisions, we need a comprehensive feasibility study to determine the potential costs, benefits, and timeline for such an initiative. Ensuring the health and safety of our citizens is our top priority, and if DeKalb County cannot meet the expected standards, we must consider all available options.

What is your opinion of DeKalb County Schools?

The DeKalb County Schools need to do better for all the children in DeKalb County, and by ending our city’s practice of giving excessive tax abatements to commercial developers, we will put more money and more resources back into the school district’s coffers.

Who will you be voting for to serve on city council?

I reside in District 2 and we have an open seat. I have not yet met all the candidates, so all I can say is that I will vote for the most qualified candidate.

If elected, do you promise to conduct yourself in an ethical and transparent manner? What will you do to promote ethics and transparency in government?

Absolutely! As an attorney, I’m bound by a code of ethics that I abide by and adhere to. I’ve heard from many Brookhaven citizens that they’re frustrated by the lack of transparency with our current administration. As mayor, I will convene a group of citizens to discuss how to do a better job with transparency at city hall. In addition, I think revisiting our website architecture might make it more intuitive which will give our citizens greater confidence in the information they find there. I will do more than rely on Brookhaven Blast and social media to communicate with our constituents so that they always feel that they know what’s going on at city hall.

Hilerie Lind

What is your occupation?

Claims Examiner

What is the neighborhood you call home?

Blackburn Park

Can you tell us anything else about yourself or your life that you think is important for voters to know?

I was born a servant leader. Servant leadership and community is my life’s work. I bring not only education, but experience working directly with the community, listening, and providing resources. I started my political career at the Ohio House of Representatives during the 2008 presidential election and realized that policy makers can make big changes within the community. I volunteered with the CDC Emergency Operations Center’s Covid-19 Response where I assumed many roles that include: Operations Coordinator, Goals Lead, Clearance Manager, and Regional Liaison Officer, where I led state and federal partners and provided vital information and metrics. My impact includes crafting briefings for Operation Warp Speed leadership, advising on risk mitigation, and guiding public health programs through the crisis. This work has given me experience in leading through a public health crisis, which shows my tenacity and ability to lead under pressure.

If you are elected, what are your top two or three priorities?

Providing resources and creating programs geared toward homelessness prevention, implementing more initiatives geared toward expanding the current diversity commission to include educators and individuals that have backgrounds in social justice and diversity, and creating a commission that focuses efforts on equitable recruitment, hiring, retention, and firing procedures, provide essential services that include recruitment, retention, firing, staffing, risk management, and retirement

Why are you a better candidate than your opponents?

I am the better candidate because I come with a wealth of experience in community, politics, leadership, and finance. Not only does not education reflect that, but I have dedicated my entire life toward public service. My opponents
do not posses half of my experience in community or knowledge of policies. It appears that their stance and focus has remained on their political careers and only seeing the constituents as a dollar sign. The first forum shows how they will lead the city. They failed to properly prepare for the forum or even bother to show up. If you’re not preparing to answer the questions properly or even bothering to be on camera with your opponents, you’re showing how you will fail to lead the city.

What is Brookhaven’s greatest strength?

Brookhaven’s greatest strength is the love that the community has for this city and the tenacity of the people that live here.

What is Brookhaven’s toughest challenge?

The toughest challenge in Brookhaven is the uphill battle that the community has with communicating with city leaders to have their issues properly heard. There is a disconnect between leadership and citizens that need to change.

The city council recently considered an annexation petition and urged the county to call for a referendum. Do you think the city should still consider expanding its city limits? Why or why not?

Only when the community has had an opportunity to properly participate in the conversation for annexation and resources are properly allocated toward assisting individuals from being displaced from their homes due to lack of finances and homelessness prevention programs are created. Annexation will force the city to utilize resources that could be used to assist current residents. We have to take care of the people that live here first before we can expand the city limits.

If the city were to pursue another annexation effort, to what extent do you think it’s the city’s responsibility to verify signatures on a petition and communicate its intentions with residents?

For the future, the mayor and city council should act as a liaison between the citizens of Brookhaven and the residents of the proposed area. Though all needs won’t be met by all residents, the best thing you can do as a leader is to serve the public that you were voted in to support. A part of being a servant leader would be to allow the constituents to be a part of the process.

The next step would be creating a committee that would work directly with the public to determine the area to annex and the potential benefits and risks that would come with it. The costs and the timeline before the city of Brookhaven would actually reap the benefits from the process.

Several cities and community improvement districts have been working to improve transit across the top end of the county. Would you support adding express lane transit in the city? Why or why not?

Yes. The amount of traffic and construction in Brookhaven has increased tremendously. This has delayed many working families in showing up to work on time and has also delayed students from making it to school on time. It’s absolutely necessary.

The city recently launched a comprehensive plan update. What opportunities would like to see in the plan related to future growth?

Diversity- preserving the economic and cultural diversity of the community. Economic Prosperity- ensuring a more balanced economic environment through financial literacy programs, homeownership programs, and homelessness prevention programs.

The Brookhaven Police Department and residents have experienced long wait times for ambulance services. Would you encourage the state to allow the city to establish its own ambulance service? Why or why not?

Yes. Wait times are extremely ridiculous, especially in crisis situations. I’ve experienced first hand. Establishing a system to create our own ambulance service will decrease wait times.

What is your opinion of DeKalb County Schools?

Dekalb County Schools have done well. They’ve come a long way, especially with the constant hiring and firing of leadership. However, the schools have improved academically, which is the most important.

Who will you be voting for to serve on city council?

I have not made a decision.

If elected, do you promise to conduct yourself in an ethical and transparent manner? What will you do to promote ethics and transparency in government?

Yes. Transparency and integrity is a necessary characteristic that any leader should possess. To promote this, I would develop mandatory reviews of current policies and publicly oppose corruption amongst officials that serve in public office.

City Council Member District 1 

Note: Decaturish did not receive Q&A responses from Alan Cole or Michael Diaz by our deadline. This article will be updated when those responses are received.

Linley Jones (Incumbent)

What is your occupation?

Lawyer Malpractice Attorney

What is the neighborhood you call home?

Cambridge Park

Can you tell us anything else about yourself or your life that you think is important for voters to know?

I am married and have a teenage son who has been raised in Brookhaven. I was a co-founder of the city and have served on City Council for 8 years.

If you are elected, what are your top two or three priorities?

I will work to maintain our great police force and continue to improve our parks, paths and roads, all while being fiscally responsible.

Why are you a better candidate than your opponents?

I have a proven track record of promises kept for improved parks, upgraded intersections, better walkability and more. I will continue the successful path Brookhaven is on.

What is Brookhaven’s greatest strength?

Brookhaven‘s greatest strength is its committed and involved citizens who have created the high quality of life in our city.

What is Brookhaven’s toughest challenge?

Brookhaven‘s toughest challenge is to safeguard quality of life as our metro area continues to grow.

The city council recently considered an annexation petition and urged the county to call for a referendum. Do you think the city should still consider expanding its city limits? Why or why not?

It is no surprise that so many people want to be a part of Brookhaven. If we can welcome new citizens without negatively impacting our current citizens, I support a referendum that allows voters to choose.

If the city were to pursue another annexation effort, to what extent do you think it’s the city’s responsibility to verify signatures on a petition and communicate its intentions with residents?

Communication with residents regarding efforts by the City and verification of signatures by reliable means is the city’s responsibility.

Several cities and community improvement districts have been working to improve transit across the top end of the county. Would you support adding express lane transit in the city? Why or why not?

While there are still many details to be worked out, I support the idea of express lane transit if it would ease traffic congestion at the top end of the county.

The city recently launched a comprehensive plan update. What opportunities would like to see in the plan related to future growth?

With regard to any future growth, I would like to see continuing reliance on the character area studies created by citizens to indicate what kind of growth is appropriate in their area. I would also like to see a continued emphasis on paths and sidewalks to provide mobility options.

The Brookhaven Police Department and residents have experienced long wait times for ambulance services. Would you encourage the state to allow the city to establish its own ambulance service? Why or why not?

The current ambulance service times are completely unacceptable. I have no doubt that the City of Brookhaven could do better if the law allowed it. I will continue to work to get this changed.

What is your opinion of DeKalb County Schools?

DeKalb County Schools could do a better job of meeting the expectations of the families they serve. They could also do a much better job of working with the City of Brookhaven on matters of mutual concern.

Who will you be voting for to serve as the mayor?

John Park

If elected, do you promise to conduct yourself in an ethical and transparent manner? What will you do to promote ethics and transparency in government?

I will absolutely continue to conduct myself in an ethical and transparent manner. In fact, I am currently working on a revised and improved ethics ordinance that will build upon our high standards.

City Council Member District 2

Note: This is a special election to fill the remainder of John Park’s term as the District 2 Council Member through 2025. Park stepped down to run for mayor and Jen Owens was appointed to serve on the city council for the rest of 2023, according to a press release from the city.

Jen Owens

What is your occupation?

President and CEO of HealthMPowers, a $7 million children’s healthcare nonprofit founded by the late Senator Johnny Isakson’s brother.

What is the neighborhood you call home?

Ashford Park

Can you tell us anything else about yourself or your life that you think is important for voters to know?

I was raised by a single mom and two amazing grandparents in Gwinnett County, got an amazing education going through Gwinnett County Public Schools, attended college thanks to the HOPE scholarship and have held a job every day since I was 15 years old. My grandparents and parents instilled a strong work ethic in me, as well as a very strong set of values to support family and community. I have served on countless boards and have dedicated much of my free time to community service of all stripes.

Ashford Park and Brookhaven are so special to me. When I was younger, I had hopes of moving from a small townhome community where I lived with my single mom and sister, to a safe neighborhood with friendly neighbors, tree-lined streets and families with kids I could play with. As a new college graduate in 2005, I found exactly that in Brookhaven and I have been grateful ever since. I am running for District 2 because I want to give back and strengthen our neighborhoods that have so enriched me.

From greenspace preservation to city governance, sustainability and neighborhood character, I have a proven track record of putting in the work to make our community stronger and I welcome the opportunity to continue to do that work on council.

If you are elected, what are your top two or three priorities?

I’m proud of the accomplishments of our young city, but there is more work to be done to keep Brookhaven the safe, green, affordable, welcoming community we envisioned. Since being appointed to City Council in August, I have heard from neighbors every day and I’m working hard to ensure there is dialogue between our neighbors and our city on how best to improve our district and our city overall. My top three priorities include:

1. Keep our neighborhoods safe

Our police department does not have the fastest response times in all of DeKalb county on accident. One of my first acts on council was to approve a salary and housing allowance increase to ensure we have the best and brightest officers working for us and staying with us. I will always work to ensure our officers have what they need to keep our families and community safe.

Our license plate readers have been effective at stopping stolen vehicles often used by those who come to Brookhaven with the intention of committing burglaries and other property theft crimes. I want to invest in the proven innovative tools and programs available to help stop crime before it happens, such as community policing, increasing our mental health co-responder program, and providing our officers with the latest technology.

2. Improve our streets, traffic conditions and stormwater infrastructure, specifically in district

This goal includes improving safety conditions surrounding Ashford Park Elementary, building sidewalks, among other traffic calming measures. And while many stormwater projects have been accomplished in our district, many neighbors are still experiencing flooding, I want the remaining infrastructure projects to be accomplished.

3. Ensure good ROI for taxpayers and keep the lowest millage rate in DeKalb County.

As a nonprofit executive and a background in governmental budgeting policy, I’m used to doing more with less. I want to keep the City’s Triple A bond rating and high reserves capacity, while keeping the city services running smoothly and effectively. I’d like to enhance our city services with new technology, more community engagement initiatives and ensure our city departments are fully staffed and resourced.

Why are you a better candidate than your opponents?

I have a healthy mix of experience with the City that enabled me to hit the ground running for folks in my district, while at the same time being a bit of an outsider who brings new skills and perspectives to Council, such as a background in community engagement, public policy expertise in budgeting and as a CEO of a children’s health services non-profit that operates in many ways like a small municipality, I have the ability to do more with less on behalf of the greater good. Out of the existing four council members we have three business owners, two attorneys and an engineer on Council. I’m the only member with policy or community engagement expertise, which I think is a critical asset as the City matures into its adolescence, particularly when addressing public safety, affordable housing, transparency, and new developments.

I have lived in Ashford Park for 18 years and have rolled up my sleeves as a volunteer on the City’s inaugural affordable housing committee, zoning rewrite committee and both charter review commissions. I bring just enough knowledge of how the City is meant to operate and a robust understanding of the laws, but a fresh perspective and approach at the same time.
I have made a professional career out of making difficult decisions with limited financial resources, championing good governance issues such as ethics, transparency and citizen engagement, and have a healthy bent toward looking for compromises in difficult situations to deliver the best possible result. I’ve already employed this in my short time on Council. Just this week there was an instance of questionable ethics that arose and I am working with the city attorney and my fellow council members to look at ways to strengthen our City’s ethics codes as a result.

What is Brookhaven’s greatest strength?

Our greatest strength as a municipality is our ability to respond to what residents and businesses ask for and need. In our nascent years as a city, we focused on a highly responsive public safety program to make our City safer, shoring up our infrastructure neglected for decades such as stormwater improvements, road and intersection repairs, parks and greenspaces acquisition and new zoning laws that reflect our neighborhoods’ character. And we have done all that while keeping the lowest millage rate in the County, and maintained our Triple A Bond rating (only one out of six cities in the state). We are an efficient, well-run City that gets things done.

What is Brookhaven’s toughest challenge?

As Brookhaven continues to be consistently ranked one of the best suburbs in metro Atlanta, this type of popularity comes with housing, traffic and infrastructure stress. What makes Brookhaven so strong and such a rich place to live, raise a family and run a business is how there is a place for everyone. It’s important that Brookhaven remains a city that is affordable and accessible to residents at all stages of life, growing families, elders and young adults, in addition to maintaining socio-economic diversity within our limits. As vice president of the state policy think tank, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, I spent years immersed in research, data and policy conversations with state and local elected officials, providing solutions to create strong, thriving communities. I look forward to leveraging that experience to move Brookhaven forward.

The city council recently considered an annexation petition and urged the county to call for a referendum. Do you think the city should still consider expanding its city limits? Why or why not?

In general, the City should tread very carefully in any conversations related to expanding its borders. This is a difficult posture as groups of citizens approach the city regularly to be annexed into Brookhaven. State law mandates the Council work with and evaluate these petitions. In my short time as your Councilwoman, I have heard Dekalb neighbors speak up seeking to be part of our first class city – highlighting our excellent public safety response times, our beautiful parks and our efficient services while having lower taxes on these services than in DeKalb County.

It is my job as a member of Council to evaluate annexation applications, considering a variety of factors as determined by state law, including any potential resource strains or benefits, and the character of the community. I agree with the existing Council policies that deal with cost and community character concerns, such as the existence of an Annexation District, where for example LaVista Park residents, a recently annexed portion of the City, pay a higher tax rate, but lower than their previous DeKalb rate, for a number of years to provide more resources to shore up the services in their neighborhoods, such as paving and park upgrades. This is a WIN-WIN, the newly annexed communities will have their issues addressed promptly and existing residents will not pay for those improvements.

However, any petition that does not meet our community’s character or overly burdens our service delivery abilities or stretches our service delivery area too thin would not have my vote. I think there is general agreement with the existing Council on this issue.

If the city were to pursue another annexation effort, to what extent do you think it’s the city’s responsibility to verify signatures on a petition and communicate its intentions with residents?

State law establishes the process and procedures on annexation applications, which includes signature verifications, public meetings and notices, as well as recourse to the application process or petition itself. I certainly believe that the City is responsible for making sure signatures are authentic, as part of that due diligence the City required the signatures to be notarized even though it is not required by state law.

In this latest annexation application, the process worked. Residents attended the public meetings, and challenges to the signatures were heard by Council and the application was denied based on the allegations. I will continue to advocate for robust signature verification safeguards and I would like to explore the cost-benefit analysis of additional public outreach with annexation applications.

Several cities and community improvement districts have been working to improve transit across the top end of the county. Would you support adding express lane transit in the city? Why or why not?

Yes. Traffic congestion is a common concern I hear from residents and also one I face myself as I travel around Brookhaven. We need to consider creative options to address traffic congestion, including an express lane for bus rapid transit , more bike lanes and sidewalks to ensure our city is a safe, accessible place no matter how you travel. I have professional experience working with municipalities on alternative transportation strategies and look forward to bringing that experience to bear as your Councilwoman.

The city recently launched a comprehensive plan update. What opportunities would like to see in the plan related to future growth?

This next comprehensive plan for Brookhaven is going to be critical as we move from a young city to a more established one. There are several policy and planning opportunities but first and foremost, there is a huge opportunity to engage the public in this process. The public input component is critical and I cannot emphasize enough that this is the process in which so many issues can be raised for consideration and action.

The next comprehensive plan will address transportation, housing and development, infrastructure and sustainability issues. The opportunities include how to tackle ongoing infrastructure needs in our community, strategies to address traffic congestion and alternative transportation, and opportunities to make the city more sustainable long-term.

The Brookhaven Police Department and residents have experienced long wait times for ambulance services. Would you encourage the state to allow the city to establish its own ambulance service? Why or why not?

AMR response times across the city have been unacceptable, no question. However, taking on our own ambulance service would be a huge undertaking, not to mention require a change in state law. It’s a question worth exploring and some of the considerations I would raise would include whether or not Brookhaven operates at a scale to be in a position to afford a service with a faster response time and a sustainable funding mechanism.

I think there are other ways to achieve the goal of quicker, more reliable ambulance services such as the County placing the ambulance services contract under performance review or contracting a different ambulance services company.

What is your opinion of DeKalb County Schools?

Both of my girls are going through DeKalb County Schools. As a graduate of public schools myself, I am a big believer in our public school system. We have had some exceptional teachers and learning experiences at Ashford Park, Chamblee Middle and Chamblee High School. At the same time, our schools and educators are always in need of more resources, better facilities and attention to support services such as more counselors, school nurses, etc. I am eager to pursue creative ways the City can support the schools in our borders such as sidewalks and traffic safety enhancements, shared use agreements and more. There is early talk of another round of redistricting and potentially new schools being built as well. While I do not have governing authority over this matter, I am very committed to making sure our community is engaged and informed as these conversations evolve in the coming years so that no decision is made without ample input and transparency. Finally, as a parent and community leader, I am very eager to support a strong start for Superintendent Horton as I believe this will only make our school communities stronger and more successful.

Who will you be voting for to serve as the mayor?

John Park. He has been an excellent councilmember and the only candidate with a strong track record at keeping Brookhaven safe, secure, and sustainable. He listens to residents, and is skilled at bringing diverse groups together to solve critical problems effectively and efficiently. No candidate is perfect but John is perfectly suited to build upon our success as a young city and lead Brookhaven forward.

If elected, do you promise to conduct yourself in an ethical and transparent manner? What will you do to promote ethics and transparency in government?

I absolutely promise to conduct myself in an ethical and transparent manner, and I swore to it when I took the oath of office upon my Council appointment in August. I am actively working on strengthening our current ethics laws and will push to expand our transparency goals set forth in our Sustainable Brookhaven policies. I will seek input and engage residents throughout processes and procedures for potential projects and initiatives. I will keep constituents regularly updated on the people’s business through social media, newsletters and town halls. In addition, I will ensure Brookhaven is recertified as a City of Ethics under the Georgia Municipal Association and continue receiving the Excellence in Financial Reporting Award from the Government Finance Officers Association. Strong ethics and transparency in governance are vital to our representative democracy.

Blake Beyer

What is your occupation?

Business Owner of a management consulting company and an ATM company

What is the neighborhood you call home?

Drew Valley

Can you tell us anything else about yourself or your life that you think is important for voters to know?

I’m not an attorney or an insider, I’m a consultant and business owner that has spent most of my adult life fixing complex problems, from small business to billion dollar mergers. I’m also a veteran and Army brat, who has experienced many different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.

Respect, Integrity, and Honesty are touchstones for me. Growing up in a military family, and later flying Blackhawks for the Georgia Army Guard definitely reinforced that. Georgia Tech brought me to Georgia in 1992, and my wife Karen and I moved into our Brookhaven home in 2007. We have three amazing children, Katherine 12, Matthew 10, and Isabelle 9. They all attend our public schools and we are active in the PTA and fundraising. I have three companies incorporated in Brookhaven, and we have built our forever home here. It’s why we are running.

If you are elected, what are your top two or three priorities?

My top three priorities are real transparency, accountability, and responsible growth. My unofficial campaign slogan is no surprises, as in we should have no surprises from our city government. I intend to post on Facebook a week before our City Council meetings what the business of Brookhaven will be, what it means in plain language, how I’m voting, and why. The cliff notes if you will, so everyone can spend five minutes and know what we are doing.

I want everyone to be able to have a voice in responding to me, and I want more people to come to City Council meetings because they will be heard. I want all large decisions to be subject to a vote, such as spending more than $5 million of our money, raising taxes on individuals and/or businesses, and changing the city charter. I want our books to be open for anyone to audit, and we should have a forensic audit after this election to regain the trust of our constituents. Everyone should know where the money goes. This is government for the people, not government for the sake of government.

Why are you a better candidate than your opponents?

I don’t consider myself as running against anyone, and I will never say a cross word about Jenn Owens. She’s a very nice and good person and will be after this election. I’m running against the direction of this administration, and I believe we need new ideas and a devil’s advocate for the policy decisions we’ve made over the past several years. Governing by consensus clearly doesn’t generate the best results.

What is Brookhaven’s greatest strength?

Our people. I think the greatest testament to our city’s founding is that it was a very close vote. Our city appreciates a healthy debate, earning trust, and it will let you know when things aren’t going the way they should. I was a very late yes vote for the city, because of the police force, and I don’t regret the vote for that reason. I do feel like we have lost sight of who our constituents are, and I intend to fix that. I also want to introduce term limits for city council members so we get fresh ideas and perspectives more regularly. This allows more of our residents to become active participants in our city.

What is Brookhaven’s toughest challenge?

Transparency.

The city council recently considered an annexation petition and urged the county to call for a referendum. Do you think the city should still consider expanding its city limits? Why or why not?

I love the fact that people want to become part of Brookhaven. I don’t believe the 60% method for annexation is a fair or transparent method for annexing new areas. Any method that does not allow prospective new residents to vote on their neighborhood’s fate isn’t a good way to create this new relationship with our city. I don’t believe the city should have spent over a quarter million dollars to hire a firm to collect signatures either, as that presents potential conflicts of interest and it’s not a ‘good look’. Allegations of forged signatures and other irregularities really makes us look bad. We should be setting a better example for them to want to join us.

Any annexation should be driven by the new residents with maximum transparency around who is organizing it, and it should have broad support before Brookhaven even considers the proposal. Brookhaven should not be in the driver’s seat. It should be well communicated, with several public opportunities for residents of those neighborhoods to voice their opinions, and then they should all be able to vote for their futures, without any concerns around accountability, transparency, or conflicts of interest.

If the city were to pursue another annexation effort, to what extent do you think it’s the city’s responsibility to verify signatures on a petition and communicate its intentions with residents?

The city should not do any signature verification, because we should put it to a vote for those prospective citizens to choose their own destiny. Brookhaven should be a spectator.

Several cities and community improvement districts have been working to improve transit across the top end of the county. Would you support adding express lane transit in the city? Why or why not?

I don’t know a single road in Brookhaven that would require or support an express lane. This sounds like a solution in search of a problem.

The city recently launched a comprehensive plan update. What opportunities would like to see in the plan related to future growth?

Honestly, I don’t think community input has factored into this comprehensive plan. I would like to see a detailed survey sent out to every resident that asks them questions around the direction of the city, whether they’d like to see specific development, give them actual input on whether we need a city center, the city hall, etc… and abide by that feedback. Again, a lot of these large decisions are being made by five people, not the 60,000+ Brookhaven residents. Of all the hundreds of conversations I’ve had, I’ve met one person who thinks the city hall as it’s designed is a good idea.

The Brookhaven Police Department and residents have experienced long wait times for ambulance services. Would you encourage the state to allow the city to establish its own ambulance service? Why or why not?

I would need to understand the cost and benefits of such a move. Would it materially affect wait times? Would it cost more or save money? What happens if we do it and it’s worse? Can we roll it back or are we stuck? I don’t know enough to intelligently respond either way.

What is your opinion of DeKalb County Schools?

I can only speak to our experience with Ashford Park Elementary and Chamblee Middle, which is where our kids go. Our experience has been overwhelmingly positive, but a lot of that has to do with how active our residents are in supporting the schools and their mission to educate our children.

Who will you be voting for to serve as the mayor?

I think that’s a personal question that I’ll keep personal.

If elected, do you promise to conduct yourself in an ethical and transparent manner? What will you do to promote ethics and transparency in government?

100%. I will make sure we are following the guidelines set up by the original city government and ensure that everyone is above board. I will work to have our books audited yearly by and outside accounting firm to ensure there are no conflicts of interest, the money is being spent correctly, and that we have the trust of our constituents. Local government is where most decisions that impact everyday life should be made, because you know the ‘throats to choke’. I intend to broadcast my decisions, stand by them, but also admit when I made a mistake. I hope this resonates with you. Thanks for giving me a chance to speak.

Blake Beyer

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