This Q&A is part of our coverage of the 2024 elections. To contribute to our election coverage fundraiser, click here.

All Decaturish elections coverage can be found at Decaturishvotes.com

DeKalb County District 5 includes Stonecrest and Lithonia. To view a map of the commission districts, click here. Early voting in the May 21 primary election begins on April 29. To view your ballot for the May 21 primary election, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter page by clicking here.

The seat is currently held by Mereda Davis Johnson, who is running for reelection. Her opponent is Gina Mangham. Decaturish has invited the candidates to participate in a virtual forum that will be streamed on April 25 at 8:30 p.m.

To see the forum on Facebook live (click here) and on Twitch (click here). The forum will also be uploaded to the Decaturish YouTube Channel, which you can see by clicking here.

Here are the candidates’ responses to our Q&A. They are presented in the order in which they were received and have not been edited.

Gina Mangham

Campaign website and social media pages: ginafordekalb.com / [email protected]

What is your occupation? Attorney & Counselor at Law

What is the neighborhood you call home? East DeKalb – Pleasant Hill

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

I am a born advocate, who seeks equity and justice on many levels. Throughout my adult life, no matter how tired or frustrated I became at any point in time, I could not help but to stay involved in civic affairs. I have met many challenges, both personal and professional, and have learned from my experience. I am resilient, still standing strong, ready to lead, collaborate, and make things happen.

Why are you running for this position?

It has been nearly ten years since our current Commissioner has taken office. Yet, our residents in District 5 have seen little to no sustained improvement in our quality of life, services, or advancements in transit & economic development in our communities during that time. I constantly hear from constituents that our neighborhoods have deteriorated. We should begin to implement some of the many plans we have paid consultants to develop. I firmly believe that we need to take a more deliberate, proactive approach. Too many of the issues we face have been met with a short-term, piece-meal approach, rather than addressing policies that hinder us. Along with colleagues, I have circulated more petitions than I can count, mediated numerous zoning issues, assisted in successfully fighting off environmentally hazardous developments, drafted proposals, attended town halls, community meetings, and stood up for our neighborhoods with little response, assistance or action from my opponent. It’s time for a change. If at the end of my term as Commissioner there has been no significant progress in the 5th district, then I will respect the right of my constituents to vote in new leadership as well.

Why are you a better candidate than your opponents?

I genuinely care. I am a hard-worker, solution-driven and results-oriented. My colleagues will confirm that I do not raise issues without proposing solutions. I will work for the people I represent as hard, if not harder, as I have to win this race. It is not in my nature to become complacent. I support holding at least one of the two official Board of Commissioners (BOC) meetings each month in the evening to allow for increased public engagement. I will listen to my constituents, and then think “outside the box,” after considering all views. I can take the “heat” of leadership without taking it personally or exacting revenge. I pledge to work respectfully with each member of the Board of Commissioners and the new CEO. This is another phase in my journey as an advocate for the people.

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

My first priority is to change the WAY we govern, which is described in more detail below. My top platform priorities are to: (1) increase pay and benefit packages for our police officers and firefighters; (2) improve and increase code enforcement; (3) promote economic development by (a) creating transportation hubs with nearby affordable housing; (b) enhancing opportunities for entrepreneurship and small business development; (c) while ensuring environmental justice for the residents of southeast DeKalb.

In your opinion, what is the role of a county commissioner?

Under the DeKalb County Organizational Act, the Board of Commissioners (BOC) is a legislative body. The Board is mandated, at a minimum, to (1) pass an annual budget; (2) hear and decide on zoning requests, and (3) approve, deny, amend county contracts. The BOC is also charged with fiscal oversight. In my opinion, my role will also require listening, leadership, legislation and ensuring fiscal responsibility. In order to move DeKalb County forward, I will focus on setting policy through legislation to address county issues and foster improvements. Providing ad hoc constituent services is certainly important, but can be accomplished more effectively by addressing the root of each problem with longer term sustainable policies. Proactive legislation can also be utilized to promote district goals such as meeting the needs for transportation, economic growth, public safety and environmental protection. We need to move from micro-management of the issues that face us, to a well-thought-out comprehensive approach, with specific measurable objectives.

What is your experience in managing budgets, and what is the largest budget you have personally managed? 

As a fiduciary, I currently manage a Trust with assets of more than $1M. Yet, I have previously managed a non-profit community development corporation on a shoestring budget. During my time at IBM, I was responsible for automated banking equipment valued in the millions of dollars. As an attorney, I have been charged with managing “other people’s money” in cases of substantial value. It’s not just the amount of money that matters; what is most important is how resources are utilized. Management of public funds requires the special skill and experienced practice that I have acquired, along with a commitment to a culture of fiscal responsibility and ethics.

Cities in DeKalb County and surrounding areas are taking steps to address affordable housing and housing diversity. In what ways should DeKalb County address issues related to housing and affordability?

First and foremost, we must recognize that “affordable” is a relative term. While the price point for both home ownership and rental housing must be based on each target market, we must also consider and respect the impact of further development on existing home owners who have invested in building a legacy. We must educate our citizens on affordable housing options, and then solicit input from existing residents on which alternatives best fit our respective neighborhoods. We do not have to sacrifice quality to reach affordability. We can work with builders and citizens to create models that provide both. Finally, rather than simply respond to zoning requests, we need to develop overall plans within our respective districts, with citizen input, that complement existing neighborhoods, supported by local ordinance(s). The idea is to reach some consensus with builders and residents alike, BEFORE applications to build reach the Department of Planning and Sustainability, and later come before the BOC. This approach will minimize the endless “NIMBY” (“not in my back yard”) arguments. I support reinstating reasonable caps on rent increases to ensure that rental housing remains affordable.

In what ways could the county work to address the challenges the unhoused population faces and provide services? How can the county work better with the cities to address this issue?

This is a difficult nationwide challenge. We need to move toward integrating the unhoused into the larger community in cities as well as in unincorporated DeKalb, rather than only warehousing people temporarily, for the short-term. We should explore the creation of smaller, authorized facilities similar to personal care homes, with wrap-around services from both public and private mental health, life-skill, and job-training/job providers. Most of all, we must begin to remove the stigma of homelessness through education and individual success stories. Every human being has a story. After all, but for the grace of God, it could be any one of us.

What are your thoughts on the effort to review and update the county’s charter? What changes would you like to see made to the charter, if any?

The County Charter should be re-examined, which is demonstrated by the fact that the charter is often not consulted until there is a crisis. I support the work of the recent Charter Review Commission. Among the key areas that need to be addressed is responsibility for constituent services which should fall under the responsibility of the Administration. Each department should have someone in place whose role is to address residents’ issues with county services. Yet, this function has been relegated to the Commissioners, who simply escalate the issues back within the county administration. Another area that has become an issue is how “temporary” vacancies are filled on the Board of Commissioners (BOC). We must ensure that residents do not remain unrepresented for prolonged periods of time. The 5th district seat remained vacant in 2014 after Lee May was appointed interim CEO, until I raised the issue. Currently, the 3rd district has no representation at all on the BOC. Finally, there should be a proscribed time within which other key board positions must be filled by the CEO; DeKalb had two unfilled positions on the MARTA board for more than a year. These are just examples of the many provisions of the charter that require our attention.

How would you like to see the county spend its SPLOST funding?

I have found that the residents of DeKalb generally support effective road repair. Yet, we need better quality control and financial oversight. Constituents consistently complain that holes on our roads are merely patched, only to reappear again a short time later. I support investment in police and fire stations where needed. I would like to see investment of SPLOST dollars in transportation in and around Southeast DeKalb, which has been ignored for far too long, but is sorely needed. For example, we have two senior centers in the 5th District, but many senior citizens have told me that they cannot get to them. We may also have an opportunity to utilize SPLOST funds to develop concrete plans for specific projects that will allow us to leverage MARTA dollars. We have virtually no public transportation in southeast DeKalb, which also hinders economic development.

What is your opinion of current CEO Mike Thurmond?

The people should evaluate the performance of our outgoing CEO for themselves. I’m looking forward, not back. We will have a new CEO next year. My focus is to evaluate where we go from here to improve DeKalb County overall. More importantly, 5 of the seven 7 Commissioners’ seats (in addition to the CEO position) will be on the ballot for election this year. This presents a unique opportunity to proceed with new leadership, talent, and fresh ideas. That is one of the reasons I am so excited about running in District 5.

Who do you intend to vote for in the county CEO race?

I continue to closely and thoughtfully evaluate each of the three candidates for CEO.

What is your opinion about the current state of the county’s animal shelter?

The relatively new animal shelter is a vast improvement over the old one near the county jail. We needed it. Yet, the new shelter is already over capacity. I support expansion of the new shelter. We should also consider the relative cost of expansion versus building a second shelter in the southern part of the county, subject to budgetary constraints. We should solicit recommendations from the community Animal Advisory Board. I adopted a rescued dog. We need to continue to support this worthy cause.

Would you use your role as commissioner to advance legislation to stop or significantly reduce the number of dogs held for court cases, especially when they will not be used as evidence?

I am only vaguely familiar with efforts to pass this type of legislation; I have not yet been presented with the opportunity to review any specific proposals. Generally, I support sensible legislation that advances county policy on issues important to our citizens, within the confines of budgetary priorities and other resource constraints.

What is your opinion about water billing in DeKalb County, and what changes would you make?

The current water billing system has improved significantly after the crisis we have endured over the past few years. Furthermore, the change to monthly billing improves our ability to track usage. However, of utmost importance is our water quality, in particular, our ability and commitment to meet the requirements of the federal consent decree in a timely manner. I will support necessary appropriations to complete this vital work. Making sure that we have clean water is imperative to the health of DeKalb’s citizens, along with an accurate, fair and equitable billing system.

Would you support increasing pay for police officers and firefighters to help attract and retain qualified employees?

YES. Pay and benefit packages for county police officers and firefighters must be competitive within our local market. This is one of my priorities.

What is your opinion of efforts to annex unincorporated parts of DeKalb County into existing cities?

The will of our citizens will continue to depend largely on the level of service they receive, real or perceived, from our county government. In fairness to the residents who will remain in the unincorporated areas, there should be restrictions on “cherry picking” commercial properties and prime residential areas, set by objective criteria for annexations.

Do you support the creation of new cities in DeKalb County?

That ship has sailed. Much of the county is now municipalized. At this juncture, I do not see how the residents of the remaining unincorporated areas (mostly south, east, and central DeKalb) would benefit; any proposal for a new city would have to make fiscal sense, with identifiable economic benefit. Cities have formed, in large part, as a result of frustration with county government. This election cycle offers a rare opportunity to significantly transform the Board of Commissioners and the Administration. With more focused leadership, planning & implementation, management & oversight, perhaps our residents will not be so anxious to defect to cities. Any form of government is only as good as its leadership. Nonetheless, the county government will always play a critical role in providing certain crucial services to its residents in cities, as well as in unincorporated areas.

What can be done to bolster economic development in the county, particularly in South DeKalb?

We need to create transportation hubs coupled with increased density in housing (in appropriate zones) to expand our markets. We need to solicit and invest in public-private partnerships to leverage our resources and attract more desirable retail businesses, including restaurants and service providers. We need to submit a concrete, viable proposal to MARTA. The 2019 conceptual transportation “plan” is simply a list of every conceivable project, which has not been prioritized or acted upon. We must move forward from planning to implementation.

What is your opinion of the county’s current licensing and permitting processes? What changes would you support?

I have spent a good deal of time listening to DeKalb residents and business owners. Too often I hear from small businesses and builders is that these processes are needlessly cumbersome and take too long. I have not studied the issue in depth, so I cannot comment on the reasons. Based on the many comments I have heard, there is certainly room for evaluation and improvement.

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?

Of course… this should go without saying. I will promote ethics by acting ethically, living by example. As Dr. King wisely observed, you cannot legislate morality. Yet, we can create a more ethical and transparent culture by electing ethical leaders, raising the bar with our own behavior, and by calling on others to do the same. People are tired of lip service. We say we want community involvement, but what is the point of attending meeting after meeting with no action or feedback? I don’t claim to be able to resolve the many issues that face us instantly. But I can commit to work hard and smart each day to improve the 5th District, which in turn will benefit the entire county. I am of the opinion that fault and blame are unproductive. On the other hand, accountability means owning up to the truth of the issues. If we want a higher level of trust with our constituents, we must care enough to listen, and then follow-up with communication and action.

Mereda Davis Johnson

Campaign website and social media pages: https://meredafordistrict5.com/

What is your occupation? Commissioner and Attorney at Law

What is the neighborhood you call home? Stonecrest, Georgia

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

I was raised in Providence, TN, a freed slave town and was introduced to politics at an early age. At the age of four, my father would take me with him to register people to vote. That was the start of my political involvement, which has allowed me to work in numerous campaigns throughout the years. I have always worked behind the scenes, however in 2015 during a challenging time in our county, I decided to run for the office of county commissioner. Since taking office, DeKalb County has turned the corner and we have made significant strides toward a stronger government. My focus has been and remains, to improve the quality of life for the residents of the 5th District. One of the greatest achievements in the district is the state-of-the-art senior facility which opened in 2022. I was proud to champion this well-deserved center for our senior. Another great milestone has been to initiate and convene the John Lewis Commemorative Task Force, in partnership and collaboration with City of Decatur Mayor, Patti Garrett. The focus of this task force was to determine the most appropriate way to honor the life and legacy of our hero, the late Congressman John Lewis. The task force has successfully raised over $700,000 and has a world-renowned artist, Basil Watson who is completing a memorial in Congressman Lewis’ honor. This is important to not only the 5th, but to DeKalb County, because this memorial will serve as an eternal honor to a hero who has fought for our right to vote — and the people of the 5th should know that this lasting honor, which will receive visits and attention from around the world, was championed by their commissioner. The unveiling of the memorial is scheduled for August 24, 2024 (Save The Date) :-). We also were successful in sponsoring and passing the Juneteenth Resolution to make Juneteenth a holiday in DeKalb County, prior to the passage of the federal holiday commemorating the same. I also understand the significance of legislation that helps to improve the quality of life for our citizens. One of my first legislative acts was to introduce and successfully pass an Ordinance to Amend the Code of DeKalb County, Georgia, prohibiting Binding Arbitration in all subcontracts on county projects. In addition, other legislative efforts which I have led and successfully passed include Booting Ordinance – prohibiting extensive fines to DeKalb residents who were booted, Legislation to raise the minimum wage for DeKalb County employees and the resolution to recognize E-911 operators as Public Safety professionals (First in State of Georgia) to name a few. I have also allocated and secured funding for projects to include Arabia Mountain Signage project, sidewalks developments and extensions, traffic light and speed radar installations, Redan Recreation Center Tennis Courts, Lithonia Park Enhancements, and District 5 Library Pavilions and Edible Gardens as a few of my projects. During my time of service, we were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic and there was a significant need to provide rental and utility assistance to our residents in the 5th. Since 2020, I am proud to have allocated over $3 million dollars of District 5 funds to keep residents in their homes, to ensure that they had food to eat and to provide funds to keep their utilities on. In many instances, this critical funding helped to ensure that our neighbors had a place to live, and mom and pop landlords could make their mortgage payments.

Why are you running for this position?

I am running to remain in this position because I believe that my work in DeKalb and the 5th is not complete.

Why are you a better candidate than your opponents?

I know very little about my opponent other than she ran in my 2015 special election race as a candidate for the 5th district and worked briefly in Commissioner Gregory Adams office as one of his assistants during my tenure. I can only speak of my reasons for running and what I bring to this office.

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

Building a new Lucious Sanders Recreation Center in Lithonia (in accordance with the Park Pride Plan for Lithonia Park); Enhancements to the Lithonia Amphitheater (to make it a regional attraction; and passage of state legislation for safe storage and transportation of Coal Ash as it passes through DeKalb County and the State of Georgia. Lastly, I would also like to expand the Michelle Obama Trail into the 5th district, thus moving us closer to direct connectivity to the Atlanta Belt Line.

In your opinion, what is the role of a county commissioner?

Legislative and budgetary oversight; constituent services, with a remained focus of enhancements to the district and improving the quality of life for our residents.

What is your experience in managing budgets, and what is the largest budget you have personally managed? 

Since 2015, I have managed my DeKalb County Commission office budget of more than $350,000.00 annually and each year return money back to the general fund. The Board of Commissioners, of course, approves the CEO’s budget of over $1.4 Billion. I am proud to have played a role in the 2-month rainy day fund which DeKalb County currently has in the event of a downturn in the economy.

Cities in DeKalb County and surrounding areas are taking steps to address affordable housing and housing diversity. In what ways should DeKalb County address issues related to housing and affordability?

As we are all aware, housing issues and affordability are not only local issues, but national as well. Locally, our county governments are and should, work closely with our partners to address this ongoing challenge. I remain committed to working with our city, development authority and other partners to ensure that our residents have access to affordable housing.

In what ways could the county work to address the challenges the unhoused population faces and provide services? How can the county work better with the cities to address this issue?

The county and cities, in partnership with the federal and state government, must work hand and hand in addressing the issue of homelessness. We have examples of innovative ways to tackle this issue and will continue to work with our Community Development department to provide resource to our homeless population.

What are your thoughts on the effort to review and update the county’s charter? What changes would you like to see made to the charter, if any?

The CEO empaneled a Charter Review Committee that brought forth recommendations to be considered by the Board of Commissioners and State Legislators. The Board of Commissioners commended the work of the Charter Review Committee, as they later gave a presentation to the BOC. In general, I support the work of the Charter Review Committee, with some changes made by the BOC to address unintended consequences of some of their recommendations.

How would you like to see the county spend its SPLOST funding?

DeKalb has done a tremendous job in spending on roads, transportation and parks, during our first SPLOST. I would see spending continue in these areas and would like to hear additional priorities of our citizens to dedicate funds to additional priorities.

What is your opinion of current CEO Mike Thurmond?

I think CEO Michael Thurmond has done a tremendous job in stabilizing the county and putting it on a firm footing. When he took office, the County was at a deficit, our bond rating was low, we were not in compliance with the Federal Consent Decree and our water billing was in crisis mode, to name a few. Under his leadership we have been able to get the first SPLOST ever in DeKalb County’s history, with unanimous support from ALL of DeKalb County cities, not once but twice (SPLOST II). In DeKalb our bond rating is now AA, we are in compliance with the Federal Consent Decree and continue to upgrade our aging infrastructure.

Who do you intend to vote for in the county CEO race?

I am undecided at this time.

What is your opinion about the current state of the county’s animal shelter?

It needs improvement to accommodate over population, which was created in part by the challenging conditions of the pandemic. Like our housing crisis, I think our animal crisis will also be an ongoing challenge as we evolve. In 2015, I was proud to vote in support of a new shelter which opened in 2017. In a short seven years, the shelter is now overpopulated. We should always be open and plan for change.

Would you use your role as commissioner to advance legislation to stop or significantly reduce the number of dogs held for court cases, especially when they will not be used as evidence?

We just gave approval on Tuesday (April 9th) authorizing the County Attorney to file cost petitions against owners of Court animals in appropriate cases to allow the County to recover cost for the impoundment and care of court held animals. We are also considering legislation and other action to significantly reduce the number of animals held for court cases.

What is your opinion about water billing in DeKalb County, and what changes would you make?

See answer above.

Would you support increasing pay for police officers and firefighters to help attract and retain qualified employees?

I am proud to have advocated and voted in support of pay increases and other benefits for our public safety employees since I have been a commissioner in DeKalb County.

What is your opinion of efforts to annex unincorporated parts of DeKalb County into existing cities?

I am not in favor of annexing unincorporated areas of DeKalb County into cities. As I have stated before, there has been no city that has taken barren land from DeKalb and created their own vibrant city. DeKalb prime resources are often the bedrock of success for many of our cities today.

Do you support the creation of new cities in DeKalb County?

No

What can be done to bolster economic development in the county, particularly in South DeKalb?

Transit, trails and public private partnerships.

What is your opinion of the county’s current licensing and permitting processes? What changes would you support?

We have made improvements, however there is still work to be done to better integrate the use of technology for efficiency.

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 have and will continue to conduct myself in an ethical and transparent manner. It is in the best interest of the government and the people we serve.

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