Committee For A Better Atlanta is comprised of representatives from businesses and business organizations that are concerned about the future of Atlanta. The CBA seeks to articulate a common civic and business agenda in an effort to assist the policymakers for the City of Atlanta. In addition, CBA provides voters with tools to assist in making informed choices by providing information on political candidates, including general qualifications and an assessment of each candidate’s understanding of and commitment to key issues facing the City of Atlanta.

The 2006 chair of CBA is Hank Almquist, Executive Vice President for AmericasMart. The members are as follows:

• 100 Black Men of Atlanta
• Atlanta Apartment Association
• Atlanta Business League
• Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Atlanta Hotel Council
• Atlanta Restaurant Council
• Atlanta Urban League
• Buckhead Business Association
• Buckhead Coalition
• Building Owners & Managers of Atlanta, Inc.
• Central Atlanta Progress
• Georgia Beverage Association
• Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association
• Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce
• Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
• South Fulton Chamber of Commerce
• Sweet Auburn Business & Improvement Association

• AGL Resources, Inc.
• Americas Mart
• Bank of America
• BellSouth
• Delta Air Lines
• Equifax
• GE Energy
• Georgia-Pacific Corp.
• Georgia Power Co.
• McKenna, Long and Aldridge
• SunTrust Corp.
• Turner Broadcasting System
• Wachovia Bank

History

CBA started in 1996 as the brainchild of then-new Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce president, Sam Williams and former mayor, Sam Massell , president of the Buckhead Coalition. Business is the key to the success of a community by providing jobs, investment and tax revenues. Concerned that City Hall was not hearing from the voice of business, these two leaders wanted to make a difference in the 1997 elections. From this desire to influence, CBA was formed, and this mission statement authored defining their goals: “To articulate a common civic and business agenda in an effort to assist the policy makers of Metropolitan Atlanta to ensure a stronger metro center as well as a prosperous Atlanta for the community at large.”

Comprised of members from city-focused business organizations and large employers in Atlanta , the original purpose of CBA was to serve as a positive influence for candidate selection by the Atlanta voter. CBA has continued to evolve and in 2001, developed a more sophisticated evaluation system for candidates (see evaluation process). The 2001 CBA evaluation booklet was distributed through the newspaper to the residents of the City. Citizens also heard about the booklets through mentions in several newspapers and through public service announcements which provided contact information to CBA. With a special election in 2004 and city council and mayoral elections in 2005, CBA once again provided candidate information.

CBA continues this process in the 2006 Fulton County Commission elections.