Opinion: Reflecting on Mayor Bottoms' term
A look back at Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' tumultuous term as she leaves office Monday
On a freeing and windy Monday afternoon, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will officially leave office, leaving the bitterly divided city in the hands of Mayor-elect Andre Dickens. The power transition will conclude a tumultuous term as Mayor for Bottoms.
As her term concludes, let’s take a look back at some of the events that are set to define her time in office.
Bottoms’ term began on the heels of a divisive and at times racially charged campaign, from which she emerged victorious by a narrow 800 votes. The close contest only underscored the city’s increasing racial polarization.
City Hall was also mired by federal investigations, indictments and resignations when she was sworn in. Several officials in the outgoing administration were under investigation for crimes such as bribery. Upon taking office, Bottoms immediately asked several city officials to hand in their resignations.
Her leadership was quickly tested in the first few months of her term: a $51,000 ransomware attack crippled city government, leaving many city employees unable to access their computers for several days. In response to the breach, the city officials devoted nearly $3 million to help restore the city’s computer networks.
But the biggest challenge of her term was yet to come: the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many Mayors across the country, Bottoms was faced with a difficult decision on how to implement pandemic restrictions in her city. She decided to issue a citywide mask mandate to help combat the spread of the virus.
However, the mandate was met with legal pushback from Republican state leaders. Gov. Brian Kemp filed a lawsuit against the Atlanta City Council and Mayor Bottoms to try and overturn the mandate. The court battle, which was ultimately dropped, signaled somewhat of a rivalry between the two leaders, in stark contrast to their predecessors. Former Gov. Nathan Deal and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed forged a remarkable partnership during their tenures, even during times of crisis.
And then there was the social justice movement that swept the nation in the summer of 2020 following the horrific killing of George Floyd. The city watched in shock as a peaceful protest turned violent, leading to destruction and damage throughout the city. Windows were smashed, businesses were looted and police cars were set on fire. Bottoms, flanked by Atlanta rappers T.I. and Killer Mike, demanded an immediate end to the violence and angrily told the agitators to go home.
The increase in violent crime, along with the strained relationship between city officials and the Atlanta Police Department, is set to cast a huge shadow over the Bottoms administration. A September report from the FBI found a 62% increase in homicides in one year. In In 2020 alone, around 200 officers either resigned or retired. Police chief Erika Shields also resigned that summer following the police-involved killing of a man at a Wendy’s drive-thru, which was later set on fire.
That same Wendy’s drive-thru was also the scene of another tragic crime: On July 4, 2020, 8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot and killed while riding in the back of her mother’s SUV near the burned-down Wendy’s. An emotional Bottoms spoke at a press conference with Turner’s family, calling for an end to all of the senseless violence. “Enough is enough,” she demanded. “This random wild, wild West, shoot ’em up because you can, it has got to stop. It has to stop.” Two arrests have since been made, and Turner’s family has filed a lawsuit against Bottoms.
The crime problem has also caused residents of the northern Atlanta community of Buckhead to question whether or not they should remain a part of the city. The Buckhead Cityhood conversation is not new: it started several decades ago. But it has picked up more steam in recent months as residents of the wealthy neighborhood grow fearful of violent crime. Forming a new city would allow the community to elect its own Mayor and establish its own police force. But opponents of the movement, including Bottoms, say that it would do irreparable damage to the city’s economy.
Throughout her challenging term, Bottoms saw her national profile rise: she was one of the first major Democratic politicians in the south to endorse Joe Biden’s campaign for President in 2020. Some even speculated that she was on Biden’s shortlist for Vice President. After he was elected president, his transition team reportedly offered her a position in the administration, which she did not accept. The President did, however, nominate her to a leadership position in the Democratic National Committee.
In the spring of 2021, Bottoms stunned political observers and voters alike when she announced that she would not seek a second term as Mayor. The news came as a surprise because she was building a hefty financial warchest, holding campaign events with President Biden and circulating internal polling that found her with a substantial lead.
No matter what you think of Mayor Bottoms, it’s hard to disagree that she was dealt an difficult hand. The Reed administration left city hall in chaos. Think of it like an arsonist fleeing the scene after setting the fire. Metaphorically speaking, the previous administration set several fires at City Hall and it was up to the new administration to extinguish them.
The argument could be made that Bottoms was mayor during an impossible time. I don’t think she imagined in her wildest dreams that she would be leading Georgia’s largest city during a crippling social justice movement, combined with the worst pandemic of our lifetimes. Any politician facing these kinds of crises on their watch is going to face some kind of pushback. Let’s face it: running a major city nowadays is like running a crisis management firm. Whenever there is a problem, people will always turn to you to fix it — even if the problem is out of your control.
With all of that being said, I firmly believe that Bottoms handled all of these crises to the best of her ability. None of Atlanta’s previous mayors have been faced with all of these kinds of crises at once, so it’s difficult to compare her leadership to any of her predecessors. However, I do not believe that she ever led with bad intentions. I have always had the mindset that her heart was in the right place. I’m sure she could speak to this better than I could, but it was all very overwhelming. The reality is everyone is angry. And they are taking their frustrations out on the people in charge.
Atlanta was bitterly divided when Bottoms took office, and it remains so as she prepares to leave office. Unfortunately, I do not feel that this is going to change under the leadership of the incoming Mayor. Any problem that arises in this city, no matter how big (or how small) will be placed at the Mayor’s feet. Even if they didn’t directly cause it or have no control over it.
I want to thank Mayor Bottoms for her service to this city. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to lead any major city, especially during times such as these. Not to mention, it takes an enormous toll on the lives of yourself and your loved ones.
I do not know if she or any future mayor will be able to address many of the problems facing our city, but I will always commend her for being a voice of compassion during times of trial and tribulation. Whether you support her or not, there is no questioning her love for this city. She was born and raised here, and now she’s raising her own family here. Just like all of us, she couldn’t be prouder to call Atlanta home.
I don’t know what’s in store for her or her family, but I wish them all the best of luck in the months and years to come. I hope they get lots of rest and relaxation as they adjust to their new lives as private citizens.
Thank you, Mayor Bottoms.