Atlanta Regional Commission hosts first-ever regional assembly of public officials

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) hosted elected officials from the 11-county Atlanta region for the inaugural Regional Assembly of Public Officials, held at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Cobb County.

The event brought together mayors, city council members, and county commissioners from 76 cities and 11 counties in metro Atlanta for a day of collaboration, learning, and regional problem-solving.

The ARC board is composed of 41 members, which include 11 county commission chairs, 12 mayors, the mayor of the City of Atlanta, a member of the Atlanta City Council, 15 citizen members, and a representative from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

ARC’s 11-county region includes Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties, as well as the City of Atlanta and 75 other cities.

The day-long agenda includes a deep dive into data that shows where our region is today, and where we are headed, and break-out sessions that will offer insights into housing affordability, freight & planning, and resilience to extreme weather events.

Mayor Andre Dickens, who is also the ARC Chairman, said the Regional Assembly offers a unique opportunity for elected officials in the region to build connections with their peers, exchange best practices, and explore solutions to shared challenges.

“Metro Atlanta is such a dynamic and diverse region. I cannot wait to see the innovations and ideas that are unleashed when this group of public officials comes together,” he said.

Anna Roach, executive director & CEO of the ARC, said the Regional Assembly provides an important venue for officials to consider issues from a regional perspective.

“Many of the biggest challenges we face are regional in scope. Things like traffic, housing costs, and air quality don’t stop at the city or county line. They affect all of us,” she said.

Roach also said two factors led to the metropolitan planning commission’s decision to hold the event, which she realized they were “very connected” to the representatives of the region who sit on their board.

“The piece we felt was missing was a connection to other elected officials in the region. We didn’t know to what degree they were aware of the resources that exist at the ARC,” she said.

Roach said the second reason was when she learned other regions had successfully convened all their elected leaders, including the Southern California Association of Governments. Michigan also holds a similar event, the Mackinac Policy Conference.

One of the big reasons for holding the regional assembly is to give elected officials a better understanding of all the resources ARC can provide to local governments, Roach says.

“There’s going to be an exhibit hall of sorts featuring the different ARC programs,” Roach said.

Also, Roach said the regional assembly will likely happen every other year during the second year of the ARC Chair’s two-year term moving forward.

This is the second year of Dickens’ term as chair. Nominations for ARC chair will be made in either October or early November.

It is unknown whether Dickens, who is running for his second term as mayor, will be running for re-election to be the chair of the ARC for another two years.

The exhibits included:

·      About ARC

·      Aging and Independence Services

·      Mobility Services

·      Protecting Our Resources

·      Bike-Ped, Trails, & Safety

·      Transportation Innovation

·      Climate & Resilience

·      Transportation Investments

·      Community Development

·      Workforce Development

·      Data Centers

·      Research & Analytics

·      Economic Development, Leadership & Outreach

The keynote address was delivered by former State Rep. Calvin Smyre, who served in the Georgia General Assembly for 48 years.

“He has the ability to bring people together from different areas,” Roach said.

Known as the “Dean of the House,” Smyre was widely respected by members of both sides of the aisle and was instrumental in forging final passage of landmark transportation legislation and transit legislation.

“Our job is to create a great quality of life for our residents,” he said. “I also believe in effective communication and not sacrificing my principle, but at the same time, I think we get in the situation where we’re intolerant of other people’s opinions, and I think we have to be able to accept others opinions and try your best to negotiate, but not negotiate your principles away.”

Smyre also offers some advice to the audience: It’s not about the day you were born or the day you pass away, but about the dash on the tombstone and what you did in between.

“Keep developing your dash and one day, you’ll look back and say, ‘this is what my dash stands for’,” he said.