No Endorsement

On Monday, August 25, the Atlanta Board of Realtors invited every candidate running for a Dunwoody City Council position to interview. The board was deciding which candidates to endorse. In District 2, the board chose to endorse one of my opponents.

Even though I am a realtor, I am not surprised by the decision. As a matter of fact, I expected it. Among the questions the board asked was, "are you in favor of impact fees?" If all I was concerned about is getting the endorsement of the ABR, I would have replied, "Absolutely not!" However, that was not my reply. Instead, I said if what developers did caused the taxpayer to have to shell out money from his own pocket, I didn't think that was right. I thought the developer should have to pay for the "impact."

What follows is the email I sent to the ABR, after it informed me of its decision:

Naturally I'm disappointed with your decision. As a realtor, I am well aware of what is best for our industry. But unfortunately, what is best for the real estate industry and what I feel is best for the city of Dunwoody, in certain circumstances, will be in direct contrast. And in such cases, the city and the citizens I represent must come first.
I will continue my support for the board and all the fine work it does.

Sincerely,

Bob