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Liliana Bakhtiari

Liliana Bakhtiari is running for Atlanta City Council Member, District 5.

Personal background

Liliana was born and raised in Atlanta. She has a bachelor's degree in anthropology and journalism. She was a board member for GloATL, Victory Fund, WinList and Georgia Equality and as Governor for Red Clay Democrats.

Professional background

Most recently, Liliana served as Emergency Response Coordinator for Partners for Home during the initial COVID-19 outbreak, managing an operation that used vacant hotel space for individuals experiencing homelessness who were at high risk or had tested positive for coronavirus. She was also the Public Affairs Manager for Planned Parenthood Southeast.

Political background

Liliana ran for District 5's City Council seat in 2017 but was defeated.

ON THE ISSUES

CAMPAIGN FINANCE

Public Services

Wants to raise the minimum wage within the City of Atlanta to $15 "by lobbying the state to end its preemption laws."

Plans to partner with Atlanta Public Schools and local businesses to create more apprenticeship programs for students.

Supports the city's effort to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035 and plans to introduce public benchmarks on that strategy.

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COVID

Supports economic recovery strategies to bolster the state's small businesses and hardest hit industries (like the food service industry, hospitality industry, and the arts industry)

Supports expanding accessibility to the SBA’s Emerging Leaders Initiative and expanding the city's existing grants for BIPOC and legacy

owned businesses

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City Budget

Supports adopting participatory budgeting.

Said, "I will implement a benchmark system for city projects so that we can better monitor budgetary spending and ensure that projects are completed using the money that is earmarked for those projects."

Plans to encourage city departments to disclose their spending and budget in a public database.

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TOP PRIORITY

Housing & Urban Development

Supports requiring Community Benefit Agreements for development projects and using tax protections for legacy residents.

Supports offering more low-barrier shelters, housing placement programs and wraparound services.

Plans to increase the number of units of affordable housing in Atlanta and address housing affordability across the spectrum, including workforce development and workforce housing, expanded services for our unsheltered population, and targeted tax credits and incentives

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TOP PRIORITY

Public Safety

Plans to reach public safety staffing targets of 2,000 police officers and 1,600 firefighters.

Supports the Police Alternatives and Diversion Program and wants to create a Diversion Center in place of the Atlanta City Detention Center to take nonviolent offenders "out of the criminal justice system and provide them with the resources they need."

Wants to add a 24/7 mental health and poverty response team with specialized training into a Public Safety Department.

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TOP PRIORITY

Transportation & Infrastructure

Plans to co-create equitable solutions to Atlanta's housing shortage, the climate crisis, and our population boom

Wants to "bundle pedestrian and ADA infrastructure with road resurfacing projects."

Supports using green infrastructure, like rain gardens and bioswales, to manage water runoff.

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Zoning

Supports upzoning to multi-family (up to 12-plexes) and mixed-use along transit corridors and major thoroughfares

Plans to expand R5 zoning throughout the city in order to legalize granny flats and accessory units, and provide avenues

for soft density within neighborhoods

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