Atlanta Progressive News

(APN) ATLANTA — Pastor Stanley Calloway, 45, is planning to challenge Councilwoman Felicia Moore for her District 9 seat in 2013, the candidate told Atlanta Progressive News.

“My contemplations are over.  I’m gonna run,” he said.

Calloway is the pastor of the Kingdom Fellowship Ministry and runs his own small business, The Wing Hut.

He also previously worked as a property manager for HT Russell for Etheridge Court, which is now known as Rolling Bends.

Calloway ran in 2001 against Moore and came in second place in what was a three-way race.
Moore is one of the more progressive members of City Council; however, on issues of transparency, open government, and public input, Moore has emerged as one of the greatest enemies of the citizenry.

For example, Moore conducted the secret vote of 2010 and refused to amend the minutes to state how Council Members voted.

Calloway said he would not support secret votes, if elected to Council.

“The public is entitled to knowledge of the undertakings they elected you to go up there and take on their behalf,” Calloway said.

Moore also has defended the City of Atlanta’s closed door Committee Briefings.

As Chairwoman of the Committee on Council, Moore refused to address any citizen input related to Council processes, even though she solicited it.

More recently, Moore removed an item called “Items Not on the Agenda” from the COC agenda to prevent citizen advocates from speaking to items not on the agenda that still may be pertinent to the work of the Committee, according to Ben Howard.

In addition, according to Howard, Moore broke her promise to citizens to make a Rules of Council publication available to the public, instead now requiring citizens to read the full Code of Ordinances to know of any rules that might be related to how members of the public should conduct themselves during Council meetings.

“There’s a misrepresentation of the District,” Calloway said.

“Look at the disparities from Moore’s Mill to Northside to Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.  People are suffering from the disparities and the ill-representation,” he said.

Calloway criticized a Tax Allocation District that he said benefited the Moore’s Mill Plaza, which Felicia Moore [no relation] supported.

“Look at the demographics and compare them.  Obviously, there is no concern for the lower district,” Calloway said.

He added the disparities were economic and not racial.  “We have a lot of poor Caucasians over in the Riverside area.”

Calloway said he supports affordable housing as well.  “I’m an advocate for affordable housing for the less fortunate and indigent people.”

(END/2011)