The Local Option with Dana Barrett

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! While everyone else may be taking it easy for the holiday season, Fulton County is breaking down its $1.3 billion budget. It's said that a budget is a statement of values, so what are the values of this one? You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website  electdanabarrett.com . Reach out to her via email at  Dana. B...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! Today we're recapping the US Department of Justice investigation into the Fulton County Jail, and one idea Dana had to take some steps forward.    Read the full DOJ report: https://www.justice. gov/crt/media/1377011/dl   Watch the full CJCC discussion:  https://youtu.be/ YG2DO4OqLCI?t=26882 You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett,...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! Have you heard? There's an election coming up! Apologies if you're already ready for it to be Christmas, so are we. But what does running an election look like from the inside? We get Dana's take. Then, the County discussed what it was going to request from our esteemed legislators for the upcoming legislative session. Some of it is, as you can imagine, frustra...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! This week, we've got to go over a huge cost for local governments: insurance. But wait! Before you stop listening, we promise to talk about some cute puppies and kittens immediately after. And then of course, once again, we need to cover what decorum should look like for governments not just in Fulton but across the country. It's probably simpler than you think...

Welcome to The Local Option with Dana Barrett! We're taking on the easy topics on The Local Option this week: abortion & elections. First, Dana recaps her participation in a public town hall on reproductive healthcare. What can we do, beyond just voting? Then, Preston gives some history on the State Elections Board and why Fulton County is signing a contract for elections monitors in 2024. You don...

Welcome to The Local Option with Dana Barrett! We've got some very special guests this week. As our two summer interns wrap their time with us, we thought it would be great to hear their takes on Fulton County, and local government as a whole. Some of it will definitely surprise you! Then, we recap Fulton County's eventual adoption of the millage rate and the politics behind it.  You can follow Co...

Welcome to The Local Option with Dana Barrett! We're being EXTRA transparent this week on the Local Option Podcast. When are open records really open? Just because you CAN find something, does that make it good enough? Then, we're covering a surprisingly fraught meeting concerning the Housing Authority of Fulton County. All that, with a few more rants thrown in at the end!  You can follow Commissi...

Welcome to The Local Option with Dana Barrett! We've got another local news roundup featuring clips from across the country. Everything from cityhood to endorsements is on the table for discussion. Then, Fulton County has a new opening for its Board of Registration & Elections Chair. That and much more in this week's sandbox.  You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett,...

Welcome back to The Local Option Podcast! This week, Dana and Preston are concerned that the federal poverty line may actually be keeping Americans in poverty.   The math isn't working, and we have some suggestions. Then, Fulton County started its annual process of setting the tax rate. Once again the math isn't working. You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or vi...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast with Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett. This week, Commissioner Barrett is joined by Appen Media Publisher Hans Appen to discuss her recent op-ed in the newspaper and the two big decisions before the Fulton County Commission regarding the jail. Something needs to be done about the Fulton County Jail. It's a critical part of the public safety ecosystem and...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! We are once again back to talk about the Fulton County Jail, but with the price tag we are looking at, how could we not be?   The Board of Commissioners took back a decision made last fall, and questions remain about where we go from here.    You can follow Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website  electdanabarrett.com . Reach out to her...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! If you needed to figure out just how many staplers there were in an entire government, where would you start?   Today we're talking about the sometimes unwieldy nature of government programs, before bringing up a few examples right here in Fulton County in the sandbox. Any questions? Reach out to us!   You can follow Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett,...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! How can you tell when an event you're attending is for the office or the candidate? It's all a bit of a grey area, but we think there are some key signs to help us keep the two hats separate. Then, the Animal Services fight between Fulton and Atlanta is finally at an end. Dana talks about lessons learned for moving forward. Finally, we close with a constant iss...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! If you haven't seen the viral clip of the most recent Fulton County Board meeting making its way across the internet, here you go:  https://twitter.com/PatrickQuinnTV/status/1778167821991571908 We're obviously going to dig into the issues of decorum on this week's show, but first an update on animal services in Fulton County. There are a few things where Dana t...

Welcome to the The Local Option with Dana Barrett podcast! What the heck is happening in Catoosa County? Wannabe Investigative Reporter Preston Thompson has the full story. Then, for our Fulton County Sandbox, Commissioner Barrett picked a very interesting meeting to miss. There are some choice words for the Fulton County commission this week.  You can follow Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBar...

Welcome to the The Local Option with Dana Barrett podcast. This week in our Fulton County Sandbox we're covering a holdup in Animal Control services that could have real consequences very soon.  But first, why can't the federal government get their budget together? Do they even want to? And finally, we close with another unfortunate conversation about the Fulton County jail.  You can follow Dana B...

Welcome to the The Local Option with Dana Barrett podcast. This week, we're wishing you a very happy tax season! What happens when one government takes in too much, or one takes in too little? How well are they really working together? Spoiler alert: not that well. Then, we take a short walk down the street to the Gold Dome in our Fulton County Sandbox. You can follow Dana Barrett on twitter at @T...

This week on The Local Option, we're giving you the hard sell on running for office. How do you know which seat is right for you? What are some of the myths about campaigning? For more information on qualifying, visit https://georgia.gov/run-public-office. Then, we dive into a contentious issue facing the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, and what a commission budget is actually for.  You can...

This week on The Local Option, we are once again diving into stories from across the country where local governments are taking center stage. Have something you want us to cover? Send us an email at the link below! Then, we break down Fulton County's FY24 Budget. What made it in, or more importantly, how did it make it in? Find out more about Inspredu here:  https://www.iuatl.org/ You can follow D...

This week on the Local Option, we're discussing two stories that went under the radar this week. First, the highly successful Affordable Connectivity Program is set to expire, leaving internet access for millions of Americans up in the air. Then, Dana dives into a corporate merger that's more complicated than it may seem. What does it mean for how we look at local issues? Lastly, for our Fulton Co...

This week on the Local Option, we're having the conversation no one wantsa have: should we really be voting on all of these positions? Dana and Preston don't have the answer, but they give us a place to start. Then, we turn to drama right here in Fulton County with the Magistrate Court. It takes some explaining, but you won't want to miss it.    You can follow Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBa...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! This week on the Local Option, we're talking about the work of building and maintaining a Jail. Who are they for? What should be in it?  Then in our Fulton County sandbox, we dig into the recently presented plan for a replacement jail facility, including where we go from here.  You can follow Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website  ele...

Welcome to The Local Option! It's the holiday season, which means it's budget time in Fulton County. How did we get here? What's next year going to look like? Dana answers those questions and more as we dive into the most important role for County Commissioners.  You can follow Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website  electdanabarrett.com . Reach out to her via email at  D...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! Dana is away this week, but worry not! Preston has brought in Hans Appen, publisher of Appen Media, to talk about the challenges of running a local news operation. Appen Media covers 7 metro Atlanta markets in both print and online. Preston and Hans dig into financial challenges, building trust with in the community, and engaging with elected officials.    You...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! This week, Dana and Preston dig into the problems that arise from not having reliable local news coverage. How do we find the news that really matters to our daily lives? While we can't fully solve the problem, we have some suggestions. Then a quick recap over a bubbling issue regarding, you guessed it, the Fulton County Jail.  You can follow Dana Barrett on tw...