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Dear Decaturish,

Public service is an honor and a privilege. I believe our best elected officials understand that. Unfortunately, some enter politics for the wrong reasons, whether it’s for money, power or to feed their egos. When it comes to putting the right person in charge of DeKalb County, it’s crucial that we elect someone who views public service as an earned privilege, not a burden. That is why I am voting for Larry Johnson as DeKalb CEO. 

I am thrilled to support Commissioner Johnson in this election to become CEO of DeKalb County. He is honestly one of the best public servants I know. His non-stop work ethic and thoughtful, creative style of problem solving make him the best choice to lead DeKalb County into the future. His support for Neighbor in Need over the years has been a blessing, allowing us to help the legacy homeowners in District 3 to age in place.

For more than 20 years as commissioner, he has delivered results you can see for South DeKalb’s District 3. He has secured investments of more than $100 million for infrastructure improvements in South DeKalb, including the paving of all roads and sidewalks as well as park improvements. He has also dedicated millions of dollars towards the Candler Road Senior Center, Ellenwood Library and Grady Hospital. 

Commissioner Johnson shares my vision of a DeKalb that values and takes care of its senior citizens, which is among the many reasons he has my support. It’s thanks to him that DeKalb was able to build 170 new senior housing units near the South DeKalb Senior Center. During the foreclosure crisis, he worked with the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership to secure the investment of $20 million in South DeKalb to help keep people and families from being evicted from their homes. 

These are the kinds of initiatives that demonstrate Commissioner Johnson’s values. These values will guide his leadership as DeKalb’s next CEO. He will build on his track record of success to invest even more in our infrastructure, public safety and housing and create new opportunities for all of our residents, especially those who need them most. 

What DeKalb needs right now is a servant leader with the vision, experience and tenacity to build a future we can all believe in. Larry Johnson is that leader, and I look forward to voting for him on May 21. 

— Kyle Caldwell, founder of Neighbor in Need

 

 

Dear Decaturish,

It takes a lot to lead a community – to turn ideas into consensus, and consensus into action. Commissioner Larry Johnson is a proven community leader, and I’m delighted to endorse him for DeKalb County CEO.

As a former mayor of Atlanta, I’m deeply invested in the well-being of our communities, and Larry has long been a partner in the hard work of building up the metro area. His 20+ years of local government experience, coupled with his unwavering commitment to addressing the key issues in DeKalb County, make him the clear choice for CEO.

He knows the players, he knows the issues and he knows how to help communities prosper – neighborhood by neighborhood and as part of the whole.

As commissioner, Larry helped deliver a property tax cut without sacrificing public services while investing in public safety, public health, parks and affordable housing. His support for policy and programs, such as the extension of Marta to Stonecrest and his advocacy for expanding post-secondary educational opportunities, is well documented. Larry’s record of public service spans every aspect of developing a healthy community for families, businesses and all DeKalb residents. His accomplishments are too numerous to list. I invite you to check the record and his website.

Larry understands what it takes to lead a diverse and dynamic county government in a way that builds consensus, turns ideas into action and creates a sustainable community. He works hard and listens, and he always has.

I am honored to call Larry a friend and wholeheartedly endorse his candidacy for Chief Executive Officer of DeKalb County.

— Shirley Franklin, former mayor of Atlanta

 

 

Dear Decaturish,

As a former state legislator who represented DeKalb County for more than a decade and as a resident for much longer, I am deeply invested in the future of our county. From infrastructure to public safety to climate action, DeKalb is facing a number of challenges that will define both this moment and the trajectory of the next generation. Leading DeKalb County in this next stretch will require a combination of knowledge, compassion, collaboration and innovation, skills that Commissioner Larry Johnson has in abundance.

Commissioner Johnson has consistently delivered results on behalf of the 800,000 residents of DeKalb County. During my tenure representing areas as diverse as Decatur, Kirkwood and Ellenwood, I knew that I could count on him to serve the interests of the people. To that end, he has brought in more than $100 million in infrastructure investments to fix roads, create sidewalks and build public parks. He also helped pass the $284 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Loan, which will save DeKalb taxpayers over $60 million and create good-paying jobs locally. As CEO, he will continue to leverage his experience and his presence on the national stage to add to these successes and expand access for all of DeKalb’s residents. 

The crisis of housing affordability is statewide, but DeKalb County faces unique challenges as it balances competing pressures to grow without pricing residents out of the area. Commissioner Johnson sponsored visionary workforce housing legislation to incentivize new construction but he also understood the obligation to drive down the cost for families seeking a home. In my campaigns for governor, I called for innovative strategies to make housing more affordable and accessible, and there are few leaders who heeded that call as strongly as Commissioner Johnson. 

As we look to make DeKalb a more affordable place to live, we must also ensure that it is one of the safest places to live. Public safety speaks to how our children feel on their way to school, how our businesses operate and our communities connect with one another. Commissioner Johnson recognizes the imperative of supporting public safety officers without sacrificing accountability. He was instrumental in securing pay increases for sworn police officers, firefighters and medical examiners, while at the same time using his knowledge as a holder of a Masters in Public Health to advocate for more funding for community mental health and addiction treatment. Commissioner Johnson and I both recognize that it is insufficient to promise to reduce crime. I agree with Commissioner Johnson that we have to treat the conditions that lead to crime and restore confidence in our system, which is the only way to truly foster safe, thriving communities. 

Supporting Larry Johnson for CEO means endorsing a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to education and employment in DeKalb. Under his leadership, vocational job training programs will be developed in collaboration with DeKalb County Schools. Key among these posts will be climate and energy jobs that will have more than 1 million vacancies over the next decade. With billions in federal funding to fuel the energy economy, DeKalb’s residents must be prepared to take full advantage of this and other opportunities. Commissioner Johnson’s initiative will target students who may not wish to pursue college education immediately or at all, providing them an avenue to secure high-paying jobs in trades. Moreover, these training programs will offer practical experience by involving students in upgrading projects for old school and county buildings, as well as playgrounds. I look forward to working with him on also engaging on issues of residential electrification. Together, this hands-on approach not only enhances their learning but also contributes to revitalizing DeKalb’s facilities, ensuring they meet first-rate standards.

I will be casting my ballot for Commissioner Larry Johnson for CEO because he has proven for more than twenty years that he understands the call. He takes tough positions to stands up for what is right, and he delivers results you can see. Larry Johnson has the experience, the heart and the capacity to do what is right for DeKalb. Right now. 

— Stacey Abrams, DeKalb County Voter

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