from BQE Restaurant and Lounge in the heart of Atlanta's historic Martin Luther King District it's newsmakers live bringing you the issues politics and perspective of the Atlanta Community now in its 10th season here is tonight's moderator and your host eight-time Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist Mr Maynard Eaton [Music] thank you Jim and welcome to everyone out there this is a special night we have two people who one of whom will lead the Fulton County commission for the next four to perhaps eight years uh to my right is former States representative Keisha strong weights and to her right is veteran political former Fulton County Commission chairman no he's running a fully on commission for the former fully got a commissioner and former Atlanta City Council president Rob Pitts the two of you are in a runoff for the Fulton County championship very important position rob you got 38 of the vote Keisha 34 percent Robert are you surprised many people thought you'd run away with it yes no I was not surprised I've been in a lot of races until the votes are counted you never know what the outcome is going to be Keisha will you were you surprised that you got that closer in the runoff it was was this competitive all along or did uh a certain voting block step in and say we want you well I think the numbers are reflective of the constituency here in Fulton County that individuals are hungry for change and when you combine the votes between Mr Sterling and myself I think it's reflective of the need for that change what do you mean by that numbers I think that that speaks to the fact that Fulton County is ready for something different Rob too many people at least somebody's been around my as long as I have covered Politics the name recognition was that the key factor that you that got you the number one spot in the runoff or was it what you're proposing I think it's my uh my plan for the county moving the county forward you know that now that uh now that the county has been fully municipalized in 15 cities in Fulton County Fulton County government will change by virtue of that we're no longer providing municipal or city-like Services what do I mean by city like Services we're no longer providing fire we're no longer providing police Parks and Recreation zoning those types of services are now being provided are going to be provided totally by the new city of South Fulton so when the voters in South folks have made a decision last year to become a city like the cities up north and Chattahoochee Hills had done that means that if you live in Fulton County now you live in one of the 15 cities that make up Fulton County city of Atlanta being the largest population property 515 000 the smallest being and I asked this question everywhere I go Nobody Knows the answer but so rather than bore you with it I'll just tell you it's Mountain Park you ever heard of Mountain Park no I haven't been there it's a city near Roswell with a population about 500. Zone mayor city council Police Chief Fire Chief so again as a result of that vote everybody in Fulton County now lives in a city except for there's about 7.5 acres in South Fulton County that is still unincorporated known as The Fulton Industrial Boulevard and that leads to the question I've heard from the national District why do we need Fulton County if you're not no longer providing Services well that's a let me answer that that's a great question because the state constitution dictates what Fulton County government is responsible for and they're four plus number one Criminal Justice System Sheriff courts judges all of that comes under Fulton County specific responsibility number two Health and Human Services anything dealing with senior services in grading Hospital Animal Control although the state constitution only deals with rabies control for the county but through the years the county has taken on all anything dealing with animal animal control and the county-wide library system two others that are that are very very important County conducts elections and also appraises property and collects taxes so that's where I want it that's what Fulton County government that's where I want to go for okay is this a toothless tiger for the county or Keisha is are we under scrutiny because we're not we fail to collect taxes appropriately the teachers were an uproar over the fact that we haven't collected taxes is that their main problem their main duty now being a prudent tax collector well I think Mr Pitts outlined well the Constitutional requirements that we are to provide as a county and yes we clearly have some challenges I've spoken to the need that we revise the process and that in fact is actually archaic but I do see a new opportunity for Fulton County to reinvent itself I think we cannot ignore the fact that you have 15 cities it screams and Echoes of people's dissatisfaction with the previous government I speaks in screens to the fact that people want something very different and want to be a control of their own individual Destinies at the local level so you're saying that that the reason everybody want to become a city is because they didn't like Fulton County Government I think there was a feeling that at that level Fulton County was simply too large to address the individual needs of those specific communities which are very different the needs in Alpharetta are certainly very different from the knees in South Fortune right now we're we're scrambling to enlarge our tax base uh Fulton Industrial will be a large part of that quarter and so my thought process is is that we have an opportunity given that we are the largest county in the state of Georgia to reinvent ourselves and to become a major player in the region and my thought process is that we can lead the conversation surrounding expansion of regionalized Transportation potentially even martyr yeah let me follow up on that Fulton County is the largest of the 159 counties in the state of Georgia but I have a totally different view I think Fulton County is a good government and and evidence of that is the fact that companies National and international companies are moving here in droves people young and old black and white rich and poor they're moving to wear to Atlanta Georgia and Fulton County and the state of Georgia we're growing we're in the top ten now so of the 303 000 plus counties in the United States of America Fulton County government Fulton County Georgia is in the top tier so I see us are we perfect absolutely not can we improve yes we can will we improve yes we will what about the tax controversy do you think Johnny has made the right move no I do not but he didn't make that it was a move which I predicted at the time it was a knee-jerk reaction to a situation that occurred what occurred the uh when the tax bills went out people saw huge increases some saw huge increases some salt decreases let me back up in Fulton County is residential property and commercial property they're 300 plus thousand Residential Properties within Fulton County did they get everyone right absolutely not but the ones that they did not get right people had an opportunity to appeal and the appraisers were willing to sit down and talk in arms well that's that's teachers are up in Romney and they should have been but that's not that your question though dealt with did the county get it right yes and I'm suggesting to you that they got most of it right what they got wrong they were going to correct now going forward how do I plan to fix that process here's what I'm proposing first fire Ferdinand Ferdinand Ferdinand doesn't appraise property Ferdinand collects the taxes he'll tell you quickly he's not a social worker his job is to correct collect relentlessly well not not really it does his job in fact I'll give you an example no no no no it's not a question of firing if you can't find when uh when um when um excuse me yeah he's like he's elected he used to be but you remember our good friend mutual friend Doug Dean got upset and passed legislation to make the position elected and since that time Mr Ferdinand or Dr Ferdinand has been elected by huge Market he's still very criticized well he may be criticized but he's doing his job he'll tell you quickly he's not a social worker and I'll give you an example of how good he is when I chaired the finance committee the many years that I did at Fulton County we thought talked about bringing that whole process inside and we did before doing that our tax collections rates were in the 95 97 98 rate when we you listen to me when we let him go and uh started do it at in-house it dropped around 60 percent so it wasn't didn't take us long to realize what a mistake that we had made and what a good job Dr Ferdinand was doing and he still is doing a good job and he will tell you quickly he does not put seniors out of their homes and he does not do you have the same opinion it's a tax collection system it's a tax issue here wanted you would you agree with Mr Eaves well I want to go backwards a little bit I want to speak to the notion that Fulton County is operating efficiently and perfectly and I think that's ridiculous I think that when you pull the Lion's Share of Fulton County homeowners and small business owners there is a great deal of disgust with respect to the process when you look at the number of businesses and corporations who have went elsewhere given that we have not addressed our public safety issues that we do have major transportation issues others are looking at other cities and going elsewhere so yes Fulton County is an ideal place to live it's full adversity the city of Atlanta is an amazing place however we do have our challenges one of the challenges was expressed on walk Radio tonight about South Fulton in his rampant crime problem does that come under your jurisdiction as perhaps the chairwoman of Fulton County well certainly There's an opportunity for collaboration and Partnerships and that's one of the things that I talked about was the opportunity to work with our surrounding Partners to address those challenges we can't operate anymore in silos as I believe we have done for some time so it is my role as the next chair to be a consensus Builder to address some of those challenges is to figure out how we can utilize our resources best to address those issues well let me on that point though if you're talking about crime in in the new city of South Fulton as I said earlier the cities now handle fire and police yes still though at this point uh fire strike that police services are provided to the new city of Fulton County still by Fulton County yes sir but that's only going to last for another six or seven months and at that point then the whole police effort will transfer over to the new city of South Fulton but for now it's Fulton County's job to to police to police by contract to police the unincorporated area or the new city why do you want to be sharing sir I mean you've served locally and on a commission why now because I saw a need and still see a need if you look at what's going to happen at the city of Atlanta you're going to have a brand new mayor no experience you're going to have a brand new city council president no experience you're going to have a city council half of the members brand new and probably two or three others may be new no experience and there's some question marks about some who may be may be returning so I saw a vacuum Fulton County is really the big dog in this whole area historically it's been the city of Atlanta because it's the capital city and it's the mayor who gets the attention right the American Center yeah but folks strike that city of Atlanta has a population about 515 000. Fulton County is a million plus the chairman of the Fulton County Commission is the top dog constitutionally constitutionally but we've been seeing Reed beat up John Eve well that's between the two of them but we've not had a strong chairman in Fulton County government since the days of Michael Lomax whether you like Michael Lomax or you dislike Michael Lomax Michael Lomax ran the county and Maynard Jackson was a mayor at the time you'll recall some of the some of the conflicts that they had but but the power is really with Fulton County and not the city of Atlanta you're suggesting it's a new day a new time um and in a new way well I want to go back again and make another correction the notion that the new mayor of South Fulton is brand new I mean I think the former commissioner Ed would serve over a decade on the County Commission in fact was your colleague so I I dispute that piece and also uh in terms of the presidential race uh councilwoman Felicia Moore as well as Alex Wong helps also served for over a decade so the notion that they're somehow new to the process I dispute that but yes you would renew well I've served for six years in the Georgia General Assembly I would put my six-year legislative track record up against four Decades of service and I believe it runs circles and it speaks volume what I said was if you listen you didn't hear me I was speaking of the city of Atlanta and the fact that there would be a new mayor in the city of Atlanta a new city council president and uh half of the city council of Atlanta being new not not the new city of South Fulton County there my former colleague and dear friend uh mayor Edwards now he has uh he has political experience but the other his council members do not and that I think that's a reason for some of the growing pains that they're having right now good people and will grow into the job let me tell you something I don't care how bright you are it takes a term or to to really understand what happens in local government I do miss local government you miss it this is still local government you've not been in office you missed it is that why you work when you say do I miss local government you miss being elected official I've only been out two years I don't miss it I still get the calls that I got there most folks still believe I'm in office I mean I still get calls in fact every candidate for mayor every candidate for president in Council most of those running for city council called me to ask my advice and counts how's this work how because you have to that's where institutional knowledge and experience come into play experience matters I'd like to go back and speak to the challenges that we're having do you think experience matters does that a weakness for you well absolutely I think it matters but I think there's a fundamental difference in being a seat warmer and being present and actually getting things done but I want to go back to a statement that was made regarding the city of South Fulton in terms of growing pains we may recall Sandy Springs went through these very same challenges John's Creek went through the same exact challenges so the notion that that somehow South 14 is going to be any different I think is ridiculous nonetheless people have to work together and again that's one of the reasons why I ran for trail Fulton County is because I believe that for some time we have operated in silos that's been in this notion of North Fulton and South Fulton and then there is the city of Atlanta so it is my hope given that I am the only one running in the this race that has those State Regional relationships to get things done I've served at a bipartisan relationship in terms of getting things done at the capitol for the last six years and I'm very proud of that legislative track record well let me clarify something else now let's be real clear about why the northern cities wanted to become cities it wasn't because Fulton County government was dysfunctional that was a story and a function of the media what happened they wanted to recreate Milton County to get a wreck to get away from us that was the fact it was racial wasn't it absolutely and it still is there are still moves right now that's not dead it may be on the back burner for now but that that the idea of recreating Milton county is still there it wasn't that that Fulton County was was doing anything wrong or bad as I said earlier we're a million plus people do we get everything right absolutely not but we're making progress and we're going to we'll take one of them but let's talk about this racial Divide North and South it's north and south in the City YMCA West North and South in the county are we racially divided are we racist let me tell you something I say this all the time and if if this audience were Lily white there's not a major decision made in Atlanta and Fulton County and the state of Georgia that does not have a racial component period frankly I would agree with my colleague in terms of the Martyr current the conversation in terms of the expansion of Marta certainly that's a racial conversation but I also think it's important that when you are running for office that you lead by example I think to have one conversation on the north side of town and another conversation on the south side of town is exactly what we don't need and I think that that pours into that whole piece in terms of that racial Dynamic when I am on the north side of town it's the exact same conversation I set in a meeting with 14 County Dems and made a statement that I will not be the fourth vote for the south side of town because that is not what we need but what I will do is work to ensure equity and fairness which is something that the south side of town feels has not happened under the previous administration are you suggesting it just the opposite has happened because see people of north have felt factually and statistically that they've been subsidizing the south side which is just the opposite the south side has been has always subsidized the north side and people say well we're we're tired of subsidizing the south side and unincorporated city where the truth of the matter this is where knowledge and experience comes into play the people in unincorporated South Fulton County they pay for every service that they got so when people say well now that uh now that the new city is uh now that there's a new city of South Fulton our taxes are going to go down because you know we're we're no longer provided that's not true we've not been they've not we've not been paying for services in South Fulton County at all they've been paying their own way period we'll raise the terminate outcome of this race I don't think so I think that when you look at the numbers in fact you took a look at them tonight in terms of analyzing them I actually performed extremely well on the north side of town as well as the south side of town so I think people are hungry for a new message I think they're interested in a fresh perspective I think the definition of insanity is to continue to do the same thing and the reality is this Mr Pitts has served on the 14 County Commission and so my question tonight is this what happens in 2017 that has not happened from 2003 to 2014. what is different we're going to continue to build upon the Great County that we have developed we again I said there are 3 000 plus counties in the United States of America Fulton County Georgia is in that top percentile and we will continue people are flocking here corporations and why why do you think Amazon would even be considering Atlanta Georgia and Fulton County one of the main things that corporate if you understand business and economics one of the main things that corporations look at is the local government and you think all of these ncrs and Mercedes-Benz and Porsche and all these companies that are moving here would be coming here if we were dysfunctional as a media likes of likes to portray you think the CDC and Emory University would want to become a part leave DeKalb County come to Atlanta and Fulton County if we were so bad I see us with a great future and I've been and listen I really had a great deal to do with this I've had the honor and privilege of working side by side and along with Maynard Jackson wrote a lot of the legislation that's on the books had the privilege and honor of working side by side with Ambassador Andrew Young had the privilege of working with Congressman John Lewis working side by side and we have done a lot of great things with this County and they say absolutely for this County and this city you will know maybe it's time for a change they're sending Atlanta mayor's race I mean is that what you thought I'm not fighting against anything I'm my my message is the same I want to fix the tax appraisal system I want to continue to provide health and students human services including money for Grady hospitals I want to complete our library facility master plan and of course deal with the transportation issue my role as chairman will be to ensure and to make sure that the money that the voters approved and the projects that the voters approved are are come completed and completed in a timely manner now listen one other thing about the role of chairman you gotta understand what the role is there's seven members of The Fulton County Commission six are elected from districts the chairman of the elected Citywide each of the seven has one vote what's the difference the chairman is charged with presiding over the meetings of the board who has the experience what differentiates me I presided over an 18 member very cantankerous body and by the way at the time 18 member body Roberts Rules of Order considered to be an expert I never ever had one ruling that I made overturned that's where experience comes in let me ask you a question uh you look at the city council president's race the lbgt community was a factor and the mayor's race LBT Community is a factor is it a factor in your being in this runoff as well I think it will not be a factor in this runoff election I think Fulton County is very diverse so certainly the voting blocks of seniors African-American women the women vote as well as the LGBT vote will be a tremendous factor and I think that that showed as well as in the numbers but I'd like to just take a moment to go back to the conversation the notion that Fulton County does not have challenges you just made a statement right there regarding South Fulton having major public safety challenges I guarantee you if you want to speak to the residents and the homeowners in those corridors they would fundamentally disagree with the fact that we don't have issues we have one of the largest HIV rates in the country in fact some of our numbers here in 303 18 as well as the downtown corridors match that of African continent African countries and so the notion that we don't have issues and challenges Fulton County again I think it's fundamentally flawed but I think it speaks to again a large disconnect which is exactly why I'm running I offer a different perspective I offer the perspective of coming from the state legislature where I've worked with individuals from a bipartisan perspective to get things done and I think that's exactly what we need in 2017 to move us forward well your question bill with uh the lgbtq community and whether or not they would have any influence or had any influence and I think so she's a member of that Community that's not that's not relevant that's not relevant at all the fact that I don't even want to go there that's not relevant that relevant no it's not relevant her her the only one that's not this is not a relevant issue she served in the legislature and that's something that's personal to her and has no bearing on this race people will look at her as a candidate for office my candidate I mean a candidate my opponent nothing else that's all I asked people to compare her qualifications for this office nothing else compare her qualifications against mine was I disappointed I didn't get the endorsement of Georgia equality absolutely because I have a A plus 100 voting record but they saw otherwise and that's understandable I'm not angry I'm just going to move forward help to some degree with Kathy Willard and it helped us under good Dallas Juan and I'm gonna ask him tonight it's just like but if you if you analyze it and we'll get the get the demographics I think later on this week but the reality of it if you look at the what we have so far by by council districts within the city of Atlanta blacks voted for black candidates and the whites voted for white candidates period and who did the gay community vote for you got blacks who are gays you got whites who are gays so that's not a that's not the good news is we've come so far in this city in this County can't talk about the state but this city in this County that that's not an issue I'd like to speak to that as your next chair I will be a representative and A Chair for every single uh community in Fulton County that is African-American that is whites that is gays that is straight as well as senior citizens and I embrace the diversity that Fulton County offers let me uh and there's someone a note you called me today and said uh this race has gotten ugly and said you're frightened explain that at a certain night I'm glad that Mr Pitts is here because there was a one-sided sort of thing what's going on here well uh given that that matter is under investigation I'm not really going to give a lot of details but but I can assure you and that's why I found it interesting that that he didn't feel the need to bring those different nuances up but nonetheless uh there has been a level of intimidation I have been bullied my campaign headquarters on Election night our vehicle was stolen I've had my window broken out as well as individuals who have harassed me at my personal home and so I will offer you uh to speak with the authorities once that information and that investigation is complete but for tonight that is all I have to say about that Mr Pitts that's kind of that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard and that was uh someone sent a what do you call a post a Facebook uh description to me of some charges that have been made and there was a notion of going to the FBI and the gbi and channel 2 and I've said a prayer in church Sunday please do that so I can take a lie detector test and have those who are accusing me of that take a lie detector and a lot of campaigns what both of you have been a lot of campaign has just gotten disturbing and ugly I mean what is what is well let me give you an example uh and again I won't get into that other matter because I'll let that play out with the law enforcement officials but right after I qualified I think was September 18th in this particular race I received a phone call from Mr Gary Cox who identified himself as a member of your campaign and you may recall Gary Cox is a convicted pedophile but nonetheless we had a conversation and one of the things that he said to me was this Keisha I hope it's a rumor that you qualify for this seat because I would certainly be disappointed and I said well Mr Cox is true I think this is an opportunity to move our County in another Direction he spoke to me not running he spoke to Mr Pence uh mentoring me which I found offensive because you know I've known Mr Pitts for 20 years almost several decades and that has never happened but nonetheless the the notion that he's somehow unaware of the fact that individuals have operated on your behalf I think that's a distortion and I think that's a level of deception well I'm on the ballot she's on the ballot none of my volunteers are on the ballot and the person that she referenced was originally there's a change here that my campaign management I'm my cam I don't have a campaign manager I'm my campaign manager always have been so what this is about she'll have to explain that but I don't have a campaign manager and the notion that there is someone that's doing something I really want to get to the bottom of that and that's why I welcome the FBI coming in the gbi the ethics commission and anybody else and let's come back on your show and I will take a lie detector test right here and have anybody who's accusing me of of driving around and breaking into cars I don't even know how to break well that's not true I did break any cars and maybe when I was in high school a little bit but other than that let's add this to something nice what is this about what is this race about for you and then what is this race about and why should that we vote for you well I think that what differentiates me from my opponent is the fact that I have the experience I have the leadership skills I have the image I have the relationships not only at the local level but the state level nationally and even internationally the question becomes who can you trust whose record do you know people know me they know my record they trust me I have a vision I've outlined that what I plan to do number one we're going to fix this property tax situation we're going to make sure that the money that and the projects that the voters approve from the Transportation point of view are in fact implemented and an open fair and timely manner we're going to continue to to fund these social services and Grady Hospital we're going to complete the library facility master plan and we're going to build a new animal control uh Center that's what I plan to do over the next four years representative wait see you have the last word absolutely again I want to speak to uh this culture of violence against women I have been marginalized and disrespected in this campaign I stand for every single woman who has been dismissed who has been disrespected and who has been harassed I stand for you I offer a fresh perspective and new ideas when you look at my legislative track record I've not named a number of times the pieces of legislation that I've offered Statewide and past bipartisan with Republican relationships as well as Democratic relationships Hospital 54 guarantees tuition to the children fallen heroes the capital right now is handicapped and wheelchair accessible because of the work that I've done and so I think that when you put my legislative track record up against my opponents again it runs circles again the definition my friends of insanity is to continue to do the same thing over and over and over again there is a segment of the population who has felt left out of the conversation I do not believe in leading from an ivory Tower but instead I am a consensus Builder and I am looking forward to hitting the streets working with everyone from North Fulton to South Fulton and bringing women into the conversation who have been dismissed and marginalized and locked out of the conversation ladies and gentlemen we have two Clear Choices for the new next chairperson of Fulton County uh what a intense robust and riveting race this has been newsmakers now back to my partner Jim welcome all right so what we have here ladies and gentlemen this has probably been the most exciting one of the season we have an African-American man and an African-American women woman both dealing with issues that affect our community the community which is widely African-American we both see different perspectives we both see different they both see they both have their own agenda and both agendas seem sound for the community May the best woman or man win this has been newsmakers [Music]