The Local Option with Dana Barrett

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! This week, we dive deep into an issue that Fulton County Commissioner Barrett brought before the Board to help fund reproductive care access in Fulton County. After over two hours of public comment, the Board rejected the measure that would have matched the City of Atlanta's unanimous contribution.  To view the full length comments on today's discussion, click...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! We are joined this week by Megan Gordon who is has been trying to help protect one of Georgia's most historic communities. Megan, a Policy Manager for the Georgia Chapter of the Center for American-Islamic Relations, has been in McIntosh County the last few weeks fighting rezoning proposals that would have a devastating impact on the Gullah Geechee residents of...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! This week Dana discusses an eventful Fulton County Board meeting that included a live performance from one of our more colorful public commenters. Next up she and Preston Thompson cover a series of votes dealing with the expenses of the county - some big and some small. Finally, Dana shares her thoughts on the censure of her colleague that drew much public atte...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! This week we're joined by Stephanie Ali, the Policy Director for the New Georgia Project. Stephanie comes on to talk about election policy across Georgia, and what recent changes to the law could do to rural counties as they look to fund their elections this year. Then, we explain Fulton County's decision to go with a flat millage rate for 2023 after much back...

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! This week, we're joined by the Director of Fulton County Arts & Culture David Manuel to discuss how the arts help to drive economic activity. David shares his story of being an artist himself before focusing on building opportunities for others in the community. He also shares how art can push a community forward, as it has in Atlanta and Fulton County. Then, w...

This week on The Local Option podcast, we're talking taxes. Wait! Don't go! Fulton County is advertising their millage rate for the year, and Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett and her Chief of Staff Preston Thompson take the opportunity to go back to the basics. What is a millage rate? How does it work? Who sets it? All that and more on this week's Local Option.  You can follow Dana Barrett...

Welcome new listeners of The Local Option with Dana Barrett podcast! Before going over the most recent Fulton County Commission meeting, Commissioner Barrett digs into the under-appraisal of large commercial properties that could be leaving millions on the table for the county. Next, she recounts the strange experience of hearing her own words read back to her in public comment. Finally, there con...

This week on The Local Option with Dana Barrett podcast, Commissioner Barrett and Preston talk about the recent GOP statewide convention and what it means for the future of local government. Then, they cover an eventful week at the Board of Commissioners that included an attempt by the local Republicans to appoint a rampant voter challenger to the County Elections Board.  You can follow Dana Barre...

This week on The Local Option with Dana Barrett podcast, Commissioner Barrett and Preston  cover county stories from across America. From wild horses in New Mexico, to pay raises in Sacramento, every county has their own issues. Dana shares her initial reaction to five different stories, before jumping into the latest Fulton County retreat. You can follow Dana Barrett on twitter at  @TheDanaBarret...

This week on The Local Option with Dana Barrett podcast, Commissioner Dana Barrett discusses the flurry of activity surrounding the nominations to Chair the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections. She shares her initial reactions to the nomination of former Commissioner Lee Morris by Chair Robb Pitts, as well as why she felt it was important to speak out against the move. You can follow...

This week on The Local Option with Dana Barrett podcast, Fulton County, Georgia Commissioner Dana Barrett discusses the issues currently before the Fulton County Commission. Commissioner Barrett sits down with her Chief of Staff Preston Thompson to recap a long commission meeting where Fulton County moved forward with the next steps for a new jail, provided emergency assistance to the Sheriff, and...

This week on The Local Option with Dana Barrett podcast, Fulton County, Georgia Commissioner Dana Barrett sits down with DeKalb County Commissioner Ted Terry to discuss the Atlanta hospital situation, the ongoing debate over the public safety training center, and everything else DeKalb. After serving as Mayor of Clarkston, Ted Terry ran for the DeKalb Commission in 2020. You can follow Dana Barret...

This week on The Local Option with Dana Barrett, Fulton County, Georgia Commissioner Dana Barrett sits down with her Chief of Staff, Preston Thompson, to take a deep dive into navigating the political landscapes of (even) local governments. Wouldn't it be better if every conversation about an issue didn't have to end with "and Politics?"  Then, Commissioner Barrett gives her take on the recent hea...

This week, on the next installment of The Local Option with Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett, we take a look at affordable housing after Commissioner Barrett attended a roundtable discussion on the topic in the City of Atlanta. What can be done to not just house the unhoused, but to support them afterwards? Also, Dana and Preston run through the lively Board of Commission meeting, including...

Welcome to The Local Option with Dana Barrett! As the District 3 Representative on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Barrett brings an inside look on how local government is shaping our lives. She'll be joined every other week by a special guest to dive deep on a particular issue or place, before giving an update on what's happening in her sandbox of Fulton County. You can fol...