Press Releases

Mayor’s Office of Communications
55 Trinity Avenue, Suite 2500 • Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Mayor Andre Dickens’ 2023 State of the City Address
March 28, 2023
As Prepared for Delivery

Ladies, gentlemen, and to all the young people with us today: I am proud to deliver you a report on the state of this greatest city in the world.

Now, I know it’s a little early, so let’s get the blood pumping a bit.

To James Quincey and all those here from Coca-Cola; and to Colin Connolly and representatives of the Atlanta Committee for Progress: please rise so that we can thank you for hosting us today.

To Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman and the distinguished members of the Council, please rise to be recognized.

To two of my predecessors, former Mayors Bill Campbell and Shirley Franklin, please rise so we can thank you for your leadership.

Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring and members of the Atlanta Board of Education, thank you for showing up for our children every single day.

Chief Operating Officer Lisa Gordon, Chief of Staff Odie Donald, Chief Policy Officer and Senior Advisor Courtney English, along with all the members of my Administration’s Cabinet — a group of talented, diverse leaders who are leading our City so ably — please rise.

My daughter, Bailey, my mother, Sylvia, and my family: thank you for being here.

And finally, to all the young people in the room, please rise as we recognize you during this Year of the Youth.

Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp had planned to be with us today, but are visiting communities impacted by this weekend’s storms. Atlanta’s prayers are with all those across the Southeast who are recovering from those storms.

Thank you all for being here today.

Today, I can tell you that I have never been more excited about Atlanta’s progress.

I’ve never been more optimistic about Atlanta’s opportunities.

And I’ve never been more thankful to the people who are investing in our city’s future.

Parents choosing to raise their kids here. Entrepreneurs betting on Atlanta by starting their businesses here.  Our City workers who serve our residents every day. The teachers, coaches and mentors who show up for our young people.

People ask me all the time what it’s like to be Mayor. And I have to be honest: this is a tough job! These are hard challenges to tackle, and you won’t get far working alone. You need a good team and good partners.

Because Atlanta is a group project.

And thanks to all the people who pour their blood, sweat and tears into Atlanta, I can report to you that the State of our City is strong.

And you don’t have to take my word for it!

By the end of our first year in office, we had been named “the best place to live in the United States” by Money magazine. We were declared the best city in America for Generation Z. Bloomberg said that “Atlanta has more going for it than any US metropolis.” We reclaimed the crown of the world’s busiest airport. We were named one of the sites for the biggest sports tournament in the world, the 2026 World Cup.

And last, but certainly not least, we kept Atlanta whole — one city with one bright future. 

One Safe City

When I took office, I pledged that public safety would be my top priority as your Mayor. That’s still true today.

I am enormously proud of the women and men serving in the Atlanta Police Department, E-911, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, and our Department of Corrections, and I have spent the last year making sure they have the tools they need to serve our city.

We’re delivering the first take-home vehicles for our Atlanta police officers. In fact, I’ll be handing over some more keys later this week. We’re investing in new fire equipment and fire stations. We have extended bonuses, accelerated pay increases and made significant cost-of-living adjustments for those who serve in our public safety agencies.

These investments are yielding results. We’ve lowered 911 caller wait times by 43 percent. As of Saturday, homicides are down 56 percent over the same period last year.

But we need more than paychecks and vehicles to support our public safety personnel. We need training facilities, and our police and fire training centers have been long condemned.

That’s why we are building the state-of-the-art Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. Our firefighters will finally have a vehicle course to learn to drive those trucks through our neighborhoods to deliver lifesaving care. Our police will have a training course that will prepare them to address active shooters and domestic violence situations.

Public safety is not just about the numbers, or the buildings or the vehicles. It’s about the people.

Senior Police Officer Robert Oden is with us this morning. He’s a member of our SWAT team, and on a Friday afternoon last year while on patrol he saw a vehicle driving with its hazards on and blaring its horn. A woman leapt out of the car and ran over to SPO Oden carrying a motionless 4-month-old baby, screaming that he was unresponsive.

As a parent, this is the nightmare. For SPO Oden, this was what he had trained for.

He radioed in for support, and then took the baby into his arms to check for a pulse. There was none. Over the course of the next agonizing minute, he compressed the baby’s chest dozens of times. Suddenly, just as the sirens of the responding ambulance could be heard, the baby began to move his legs.

This morning I am happy to report that thanks to SPO Oden’s quick and professional lifesaving care, that happy and healthy baby just celebrated his first birthday. SPO Oden, thank you for being here today, and thank you for your service.

We love the uniformed personnel who serve our fellow citizens. But they are the first to tell you that they can’t ensure public safety on their own. That’s why we’re putting the whole of our government to work at building safety in our community.

Last year, I came to you and set some ambitious goals.

I told you we would install or repair 10,000 streetlights as part of our Light Up the Night initiative. Thanks to our partnership with Georgia Power, we’re already past 11,000 lights and we’re still going.

Nearly every week, Chief Schierbaum tells me that we’ve solved another crime using a camera in the Connect Atlanta system. Thanks to the residents and businesses who have signed up, we have almost tripled our original goal by registering or integrating over 28,000 cameras.

So many of our public safety efforts start with our young people. We are meeting them where they are to get them engaged with making our city a safer place. Through the Police Athletic League and our At-Promise Centers, our officers work in the community to give our young people a new path.

And you know I’m going to talk to you about Midnight Basketball! Last year, we tipped off not one, not two, but three seasons of Midnight Basketball, giving our young people a safe place to compete.

I’m happy to report two things to you: First, Midnight Basketball will be back in 2023, and it will be bigger and better than ever. And second, your Mayor is going to keep to his place providing entertainment from the sidelines. With all that we have going on, Atlanta doesn’t need its mayor in a cast, again.

A City Built for the Future

Whether it’s the basketball courts we’re playing on, or our fire and police stations, another area that we’re focused on is the infrastructure of our city.

Last year, I announced that we would be starting small by restarting the Pothole Posse. I asked each of you to report potholes, and man, you responded! Thanks to everyone who called 311 with their reports, we filled more than 10,600 potholes in Atlanta last year.

But we know we have to do more than fill potholes. We need to think big.

Last May, the Atlanta City Council and I went to voters to make a big ask — $750 million to rebuild our roads, our fire stations, our bike paths and sidewalks. Atlanta voters overwhelmingly put their trust in us, and now it’s our time to deliver.

Later this week, we will break ground on the first Moving Atlanta Forward infrastructure project, and it’s one near to my heart. We will build the Center for Diversion and Services in Downtown Atlanta. The Diversion Center is the physical manifestation of our commitment to reforming the way we approach quality-of-life offenses in the City of Atlanta. Instead of criminalizing poverty, the Diversion Center will provide showers, food, laundry, behavioral health screenings and other services to help people get back on their feet.

This is the first project, but soon you will see us breaking ground all over the city.

And with thanks to our partners in DC — Senators Ossoff and Warnock, and Congresswoman Williams — we have attracted more than $100 million in additional Federal investments in our roads, the airport and transit.

All these investments must be done with an eye toward building a clean energy city. We are working with our Clean Energy Advisory Board, including representatives from our most energy-burdened neighborhoods, to reach our goal of 100 percent clean energy for 100 percent of Atlantans.

We’re making some good progress. Atlanta has earned the number three spot in the nation for Energy Star Certified Buildings and we are on track to double our solar capacity on City buildings.

Working with my Greenspace Advisory Council over my first year in office, we acquired 268 new acres of park land. That’s like one-and-a-half new Piedmont Parks.

A big piece of that is delivering on the promise I made last year to bring Atlanta to the water. We didn’t do that alone.

Ms. Donna Stephens is with us today. When developers planned to turn this riverfront site into a fuel depot, Donna and members of her Chattahoochee Brick Company Descendants Coalition rallied the community. They came to City Hall and made sure we saved this ecologically and historically important land.

Because as we build for the future, we also must remember our past. This isn’t just a park. This is a place where people were forced into labor, too many of them to their deaths.

Thanks to Donna and her compatriots, this will now be a place where we memorialize those lost, and ensure future generations learn from this dark time.  Donna is proof that one voice — one very determined voice — can have outsized impact for our entire community. Donna, please stand so we can thank you for your partnership.

A City of Opportunity for All

As Atlanta grows, we want to ensure that all are sharing in our prosperity. Our vision for Atlanta is one that is centered in equity and invests in young people while caring for the most vulnerable.

Now you’ve heard some about what we’re doing for our young people, and you’re going to hear more in just a few minutes. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to forget our young-at-heart — our senior citizens who built Atlanta to be what it is today.

Some of my best times of this job have been when I’ve visited with our senior citizens, whether in their homes, in our rec centers — or on the dance floor at the Senior Ball! Don’t let their age fool you, these folks can dance!

I want to make sure that seniors who invested in our city are able to stay here. That’s why I partnered with Tyler Perry to pay off all back property taxes for 700 low-income seniors across Atlanta. I’m excited to go visit some of those seniors later today.

To ensure that rising property values in Atlanta don’t price folks out of their own homes, today I can announce that we are also establishing a pilot program to freeze property taxes for 100 low-income seniors for 20 years.

Housing has been important to me for a long time. But when I met Felicia Morris, it became urgent. Most people know her as Ms. Peaches. Ms. Peaches lived at the Forest Cove Apartments and had been fighting for years, telling anyone who would listen, that the conditions of that complex were terrible.

What I saw at Forest Cove is burned into my mind. On a February day, when temperatures dropped below freezing, families with small children were in homes with busted out windows. They showed me photos of the rats that infested their homes.

For the first time as Mayor, I realized this fact: This was not our fault, but it was our problem. I was not willing to let people continue to languish in those conditions.

Working together, we moved more than 800 people out of Forest Cove into safe and decent housing, and we managed to do it in the tightest housing market we’ve had in a long time.

Ms. Peaches understands that Atlanta is a group project. She took a look around and realized that she needed to speak out not just for herself, but for her neighbors, especially the children of these families trapped with no way out. I’ve asked Ms. Peaches to be with us today. Ms. Peaches, on behalf of a grateful City for your courage, fortitude and persistence, I am proud to tell you that I will present you with the Phoenix Award, the City’s highest honor.

As we tackle problem apartments like Forest Cove, we’re also working to build more affordable housing. Last year I told you that we were setting out to build or preserve 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030.

We are well on our way. So far, we have delivered over 1,900 units, and have another 5,400 currently under development.

We’re serious about this. So serious, as a matter of fact, that we just bought a skyscraper in Downtown Atlanta and are now in the process of converting it into what will become the tallest residential building in Atlanta with hundreds of affordable housing units.

Effective & Ethical Government

At the City of Atlanta, we are built for delivery, and have spent the last year restoring services that were disrupted by the COVID pandemic. Trash, recycling and yard waste are being picked up on time. We’re cleaning our streets. We’re issuing business licenses on time, and accelerating permitting and procurement.

Today, the City of Atlanta has the highest credit ratings and the highest reserves in our history.

And we’ve done this all while operating with the highest ethical standards.

This is all thanks to the more than 8,000 employees who come to work to serve our great city — folks who I am proud to have as part of my team. Give our City workers a round of applause.

Year of the Youth

Now, it may have been a while since anyone called me young. But as you saw in that video, I was once a young person in this city.

And I’ve spent the last 18 years raising a young person in this city. And if I could take a moment of personal privilege, I’d like to congratulate Bailey Dickens who in just two short months will be graduating and heading off to college!

Atlanta was a great place for me to grow up, and it was a great place for Bailey, too. But I know that we have work to do to ensure that all young people in our city have the same opportunities.

I want Atlanta to be the best place in America to raise a child. It’s with that goal in mind that I named 2023 the Year of the Youth. The Year of the Youth is about every one of us — and I do mean every person, every nonprofit, every company, every government agency — coming together to show up for our young people.

We want to eliminate barriers that prevent young people from reaching their full potential, and invest in youth programs and services that open doors.

I’ll give you an example. We have a young man with us named Addison Roberts. Now, until a little while ago, you might have called Addison a water boy. You see, he was living with his aunt, and to help make ends meet he was selling water on Ivan Allen Boulevard to passing drivers. He got injured a couple of times and had some run-ins with the police.

But when I look at kids like Addison, I don’t see water boys. I see entrepreneurs who don’t have the right opportunities. So we partnered with a group called Helping Empower Youth to go and help these young people out.

Now instead of highway offramps, we have teens selling water from downtown kiosks in partnership with the City. Addison is one of 25 young people who were able to move off of Ivan Allen.  Now, not only is he getting support with his entrepreneurship, but he’s a junior at Hank Aaron New Beginning Academy and is on track to graduate. Thank you for the example you’re setting, Addison.

When it comes to our young people, we’re not holding back. The City is putting our money, time and action where it counts.

This year we’ve given $1 million to 23 organizations to collectively serve more than 6,000 young people in Atlanta.

Last year I told you that the City of Atlanta would be making its first-ever direct investment in early childhood education, with a $5 million commitment from the City. As of earlier this month, thanks to our partnership with Atlanta Public Schools and private funders, we have now secured commitments to reach our goal of $20 million. We will begin awarding those funds this year!

Last year at this breakfast, I made a challenge to all of you. I called on all of us to hire young people as part of my first Summer Youth Employment Program. And you answered that call. Through our work together, we gave more than 3,000 young people jobs throughout Atlanta. And we paid too! Young people employed by the City received an average of $16.63 an hour!

Thank you for stepping up and meeting that challenge.

You heard me say at the start that our City is strong. And you’ve just heard all the data and accomplishments to prove that’s the case. But our legacy must be more than credit ratings and fund balances. It’s about how we use the strength of this city for those who need our help the most.

That’s why I’m coming back to you with another challenge this year. I’m challenging all of you to invest in our youth in a way we never have before.

You should have noticed a few things on your table. First is the 2023 Year of the Youth lapel pin. Wear that with pride to show your support of the young people in our city. But before you put that lapel pin on, you need to scan the code on the card in front of you or on the screens around room. That will take you to ATLYearOfTheYouth.com. And there you’re going to sign up and tell us how you’re stepping up to our challenge this year.

And we’re going to need all of you.

I’m going to ask you some questions. If you agree with me, say yeah.

Will you hire interns this summer?

Will you be one of our 404 mentors for our young people?

Will you donate to support our many great organizations that serve our youth?

I mean it, Atlanta. Will you show up for our young people this year?

This is my personal ask to you.

I want you to take a moment to reflect. You’ve been surrounded by young people today. Think about everyone you’ve seen so far.

The harpists who greeted you… The students who escorted me in… The Mays High ROTC who presented the flags… Ayden Leibert, who recited the Pledge… And the students of the Atlanta Music Project who sang the National Anthem.

I was once like them: a child of Atlanta. The leaders who came before me left their mark on this city. I am living proof of their legacy. I’m standing here because of the city they built.

So keep their faces in your mind as you think about this: what legacy will we leave behind for the next generation? Because in 30 years, these young people will be the leaders of this city. They’ll be sitting in your seats as the CEOs, the non-profit leaders, the teachers, the Senators, the Governors. And even up here, on this stage, as the Mayor of Atlanta.

And 30 years from now, they’re going to look back to 2023: the Year of the Youth. And what will they see? Will they see another flashy logo? Or will they see a group of people — educators, business leaders, elected officials, activists, and yes, a Mayor — who put their needs and interests first?

I’ll say this one last time: Atlanta is a group project. But as all of us know from our time in school, sometimes group projects fail when one person fails to do their part.

So, I’ll make this very clear: do not be that person. Do not be the person who fails to contribute to this effort. It is on every single one of us in this room to build a legacy worthy of the young people in our city.

Because more than anything, I hope the next generation of leaders look back at this room and see a group of people who did everything in their power to Move Atlanta Forward Together.

God bless you, and God bless the city of Atlanta.

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For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @CityofAtlanta.