VOTE 4 AVI GAYDEN

“Bringing relief to Rockdale’s taxpayers is a top priority. Foundations have been laid in Rockdale and many of us want to live here in peace. Over the years, Rockdale has learned to embrace diversity and has become better for it. I am convinced that the voters of Rockdale are ready for a true change in leadership and will vote for the candidate that they are most willing to work with. I am aware of the issues and I am committed to working on behalf of the citizens to discover ways to lighten the load, and to restore the spirit of the people. In spite of the aftermath of Covid, the Board of Commissioners continued to push a $140M judicial complex with the help of state representatives, the members of the Public Facility Authority (PFA) and the members of the Courthouse Task Force. This decision helped to increase property taxes in the county and the city while the United States experienced an increased rate of inflation. If this was not enough, the BOC passed numerous rezoning approvals. new multi-family homes, increased taxes and increased spending. This has drained Rockdale and we need restoration. I have come from the citizen side to the government side to fight for a better Rockdale. Communities thrive on smart growth, smart spending and smart leadership. This leads to a healthy community with more community engagement and a community standard that we can all be proud of and build upon."

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SMART GROWTH
For the past two years, residents have fought asking the Board of Commissioners to stop building and to consider how it is impacting the existing community, but nothing stopped. By plan and design, we can build Rockdale without forcing growth. Avi is ready to roll up her sleeves and to work to put an end to haphazard growth and redirect our development efforts towards smart development that will benefit the citizens as well as our investors. She notices the storage businesses, liquor stores, and other businesses that hurt Rockdale’s image and is convinced that we can make substantial improvement over the next four years. She says, “Smart growth is strategic and prosperous; it increases the standard of living not simply the cost of living. It is possible to prosper without pushing the legacy residents out, but we have to believe that the lives of the people are our greatest assets. Rockdale can have trendy shops, high-end restaurants, popular amenities and cultural events that enhance the standard of living and still have room for those of us who have invested years in our beloved Rockdale. We can also attract new residents and businesses to Rockdale and Conyers who will enhance our small town charm and increase our median income. I am running to help Rockdale realize its potential and to help us have hope in a better future for all ciitzens.

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SMART SPENDING
Avi believes that we should be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. She believes that increases are necessary when necessary, but leaders have to take all things into consideration before making the decision to implement the type of increases we have seen. Avi says, “There are areas where spending can be reduced and have to be reduced, but there are also areas where we have to pay for what is necessary. I will not agree to shrink budgets and restructure without performing a comprehensive evaluation and taking time to hear recommendations from staff members. No one should be eager to take away people's livlihood nor should we spend unnecessarily and increase the tax burden for the citizens. I like balance and it can be found in Rockdale. We need to optimize our financial operations and gain the insight necessary to protect the future of our county. Never again should we fail to plan financially for a capital project like the courthouse and move forward anyway. There are serious concerns when leaders engage in the funding of multi-million dollar projects without ciizen approval and without proper preparation. We are facing significant fiscal challenges in the county and in our homes due to decisions made in the past. I am running to help bring relief.

 

SMART LEADERSHIP
The people elect candidates to serve their interest in their community not to use elected authority to disregard the will of the people and their quality of life. Avi has stepped up to restore this service and to bring county-wide balance. She believes that a strong working relationship between the residents and their leaders will help strengthen Rockdale and improve its overall health and well-being. Avi believes that leadership must listen to the people and work to build relationships that help build a sustainable community. She says, "We do not vote for elected officials because they know it all, but we vote for them because we believe they will work for us and work with us to figure it out. Smart leadership is able to build a thriving community and it balances responsibility, accountability and authority.