Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, who dubbed herself the “Sewer Mayor” during her tenure, said Andre Dickens should “dig deep” within the city’s budget to address infrastructure needs, including tending to the root causes of the latest water crisis.
“There’s some things you just can’t do without. Drinking water is one of them,” she said during an interview Tuesday on “Politically Georgia.”
Although she acknowledged that upgrading the city’s water infrastructure may be a costly endeavor, “we can’t have a strong economy and public health without it.”
But, Franklin added, Dickens communicated updates as he realized how serious the situation was so residents should “give him a break.” At the time, “I don’t know that he knew more to tell,” she said.
When Franklin was elected as Atlanta’s first female mayor in 2001, she hoped to pursue an expansion of arts and culture funding and programming in the city, she said. But quickly, she realized she needed to prioritize the city’s water infrastructure.
She directed her entire administration to focus on the repair of Atlanta’s sewers.
“We built a reservoir. We built a water treatment facility. We lined pipes. We bought equipment. We did training,” Franklin said. “But those are things that you have to continue to do.”
Her administration spent $2 billion to correct sewer overflow problems and $1 billion to improve drinking water, she said.
“We had neglected or underinvested in water infrastructure for so long that we needed to get started,” she said.
During Tuesday’s conversation, Franklin also said she endorses the city’s plan for a new police training center. And she believes President Joe Biden is a strong candidate who can win the state of Georgia and has served the nation on several issues, including doing “an amazing job on the infrastructure bill.”
Cody Hall, an adviser to Gov. Brian Kemp, also joined “Politically Georgia” on Tuesday. He said the presidential race in Georgia may be tighter than what polls show and what other Republicans are willing to admit.
Statewide, part of the problem is that Republicans have not nominated “good candidates,” making Georgia become a swing state.
He said Kemp will support former President Donald Trump in the general election, despite sparring between the two Republicans. While Hall declined to confirm Kemp’s future political ambitions, he said the governor “has not shut the door” on a potential 2026 U.S. Senate bid.
Wednesday on “Politically Georgia”: Emory University professor Fred Smith and Georgia State University professor Amy Steigerwalt will discuss upcoming U.S. Supreme Court rulings. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Maureen Downey will talk about how few college graduates are choosing careers as teachers.
