Welcome to The Local Option podcast! While everyone else may be taking it easy for the holiday season, Fulton County is breaking down its $1.3 billion budget. It's said that a budget is a statement of values, so what are the values of this one? You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! Today we're recapping the US Department of Justice investigation into the Fulton County Jail, and one idea Dana had to take some steps forward.    Read the full DOJ report:https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1377011/dl   Watch the full CJCC discussion: https://youtu.be/YG2DO4OqLCI?t=26882 You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! Have you heard? There's an election coming up! Apologies if you're already ready for it to be Christmas, so are we. But what does running an election look like from the inside? We get Dana's take. Then, the County discussed what it was going to request from our esteemed legislators for the upcoming legislative session. Some of it is, as you can imagine, frustrating.   You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol

Welcome to The Local Option podcast! This week, we've got to go over a huge cost for local governments: insurance. But wait! Before you stop listening, we promise to talk about some cute puppies and kittens immediately after. And then of course, once again, we need to cover what decorum should look like for governments not just in Fulton but across the country. It's probably simpler than you think.   You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol

Welcome to The Local Option with Dana Barrett! We're taking on the easy topics on The Local Option this week: abortion & elections. First, Dana recaps her participation in a public town hall on reproductive healthcare. What can we do, beyond just voting? Then, Preston gives some history on the State Elections Board and why Fulton County is signing a contract for elections monitors in 2024. You don't want to miss it.  You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol

Welcome to The Local Option with Dana Barrett! We've got some very special guests this week. As our two summer interns wrap their time with us, we thought it would be great to hear their takes on Fulton County, and local government as a whole. Some of it will definitely surprise you! Then, we recap Fulton County's eventual adoption of the millage rate and the politics behind it.  You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol

Welcome to The Local Option with Dana Barrett! We're being EXTRA transparent this week on the Local Option Podcast. When are open records really open? Just because you CAN find something, does that make it good enough? Then, we're covering a surprisingly fraught meeting concerning the Housing Authority of Fulton County. All that, with a few more rants thrown in at the end!  You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol

Welcome to The Local Option with Dana Barrett! We've got another local news roundup featuring clips from across the country. Everything from cityhood to endorsements is on the table for discussion. Then, Fulton County has a new opening for its Board of Registration & Elections Chair. That and much more in this week's sandbox.  You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol

Welcome back to The Local Option Podcast! This week, Dana and Preston are concerned that the federal poverty line may actually be keeping Americans in poverty.   The math isn't working, and we have some suggestions. Then, Fulton County started its annual process of setting the tax rate. Once again the math isn't working. You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol

Welcome to The Local Option podcast with Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett. This week, Commissioner Barrett is joined by Appen Media Publisher Hans Appen to discuss her recent op-ed in the newspaper and the two big decisions before the Fulton County Commission regarding the jail. Something needs to be done about the Fulton County Jail. It's a critical part of the public safety ecosystem and its failing. We've seen horrific deaths and conditions so shocking that the Department of Justice has launched an investigation which is still ongoing. What you might not know is that a cycle of incidents, investigations and Band-Aid repairs has been going on for decades. Commissioner Barrett discusses the need to make decisions on if the county will bite the bullet and build a new jail at a price tag north of $1 billion and how to pay for whatever the commission decides. Read Commissioner's editorial published by Appen Media: https://www.appenmedia.com/opinion/fulton-county-jail-needs-addressing/article_20031fb6-22ad-11ef-a265-2bc10c3e556d.html You can follow Commissioner Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at [email protected]. #gapol