October 26, 2025

Dunwoody City Council candidates share visions for city’s future

https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2025/10/26/dunwoody-city-council-candidates/

• What we can do is better financial stewardship, better job of listening, better job of long-term strategic planning, and really fostering trust, listening to what people want, and being able to deliver on that.

• ...we need to prioritize with what we have and do well with what we have, looking at strategic investments, looking at prioritization, making smart decisions, not overspending on a maintenance facility at Brook Run park, you know – going 250 percent over budget, two and a half, $3 million. 

• We need to really prioritize and make smart investments with what we have, and I believe we have sufficient to make some good choices.

• City council’s job is prioritizing spending within the existing budget. We need to rebuild trust..

• ...let’s look at the number of full-time employees we’ve added outside of police officers, outside of public safety. So we now have deputy directors of all departments. We have assistants. In some cases, the administrative or the executive assistant has an administrative assistant. So, we just need to prioritize our spending and spend it on smart things that citizens want.

• ...our city deserves leadership that listens...Do the citizens trust the government, the City Council, to spend money in a way that they think is prudent?

• We have to approach this by prioritizing what we do, rebuild that trust, decide what projects we want to go after, and go after them in a smart way...We need to prioritize, and we need to approach the spend smartly.

• We need to apply systems-level thinking to this...we need to think about infrastructure. We need to think about everything that’s already strained. We need to think about our roads that are strained, utility systems that are strained....we need to do this in a in a smart manner, in a thoughtful manner...

October 24, 2025

Dunwoody City Council candidates pitch their ideas to residents

https://www.appenmedia.com/dunwoody/dunwoody-city-council-candidates-pitch-their-ideas-to-residents/article_3effb679-7385-491f-b022-50ee8a2a06f1.html

Ziskind said he thinks the city has done several things well, zeroing in on police, paving and parks. He said he thinks City Council can do better with financial stewardship, listening and long-term planning. 

“What we can do better … financial stewardship,” Ziskind said. “Better job of listening, better job of long-term strategic planning and really fostering trust, listening to what people want, and being able to deliver on that.”

October 22, 2025

2025 Dunwoody Homeowners Association Candidate Forum

Video: https://vimeo.com/1129692197

• Opening Statement: 

Good evening, I’m David Ziskind, and I’m running for Dunwoody City Council because our city deserves leadership that listens, plans strategically, and puts residents first. 

I’ve lived in Dunwoody for the past 20 years as a small business owner, husband, and father of three boys who attend Vanderlyn Elementary and Peachtree Middle. My family and I chose Dunwoody for its strong community, excellent schools, and quality of life. 

My priorities are straightforward: Keep neighborhoods safe with well-supported and accountable public safety. Be a responsible steward of our tax dollars by prioritizing essential services before asking for more. Investing in critical infrastructure - better roads, improved drainage, and connectivity for everyone. Supporting sensible, responsible zoning that protects neighborhood character while allowing smart growth. And enhancing our parks and green spaces that make Dunwoody special 

As a small business owner, I understand the importance of making tough decisions with limited resources while delivering results. 

This campaign is about ensuring Dunwoody remains a city we’re all proud to call home. Thank you

• Closing Statement:

Tonight you’ve heard different visions for Dunwoody’s future. Here’s mine: 

Actions over words. Practical solutions over political promises. Strategic planning that protects what we love while preparing for what’s ahead. And leadership that earns your trust through consistent, reliable action. 

I’ve spent my career solving problems and serving others. I’ve built my business here, raised my family here, and investing in this community because I believe in Dunwoody’s potential. 

Whether it’s supporting our first responders, managing our budget responsibly, fixing aging infrastructure, or making smart, thoughtful zoning decisions, I’ll bring the same approach I use in my business and family life: listen carefully, plan strategically, deliver results. 

Let’s build Dunwoody’s future together. Thank you.

October 6, 2025

Meet the Dunwoody City Council District 2 candidates

https://www.appenmedia.com/dunwoody/meet-the-dunwoody-city-council-district-2-candidates/article_a3b4c876-80d5-4f3f-9d7f-cf5cba0c23e0.html

Ziskind has a master’s in engineering management from the University of Louisville. He started his own project advisory firm, helping owners plan and execute industrial manufacturing projects. He promotes his support of the Dunwoody Police Foundation and sound fiscal management. In June, Ziskind said he is focused on sustainable priorities for parks, public safety and public works. He said his run for local government is inspired by a push for trust, responsibility and transparency.

I’m running for City Council because Dunwoody deserves leadership that listens, plans strategically, and puts residents first.

• Dunwoody must balance growth while preserving neighborhood character...

• Any development must account for infrastructure capacity...

• For new projects, prioritize based on community input, usage data, and cost-effectiveness...Every dollar spent should improve quality of life while boosting property values, benefiting all residents.

• Smart fiscal management keeps taxes affordable, helping local businesses and residents thrive together.

• ...prioritize essential needs, maximize resources, find efficiencies, and deliver results within budget constraints...

• City Council’s job is prioritizing spending within budget.  I want to rebuild citizens’ trust in how we spend existing funds.

• Invest in long-term infrastructure that benefits everyone...improving roads, intersections, and traffic flow, enhancing parks, and upgrading aging stormwater systems. Smart infrastructure investments protect property values, improve quality of life, and reduce future maintenance costs.  All capital decisions must consider ongoing operational costs.

June 17, 2025

Dunwoody Crier: Dunwoody Post 2 council seat now held by Price draws competition

https://www.appenmedia.com/dunwoody/dunwoody-post-2-council-seat-now-held-by-price-draws-competition/article_fee6ff70-c294-45ea-8ade-2300a898dcb8.html

In a June 5 phone interview, Ziskind said he is focused on sustainable priorities for parks, public safety and public works. He said his run for local government is inspired by a push for trust, responsibility and transparency. 

Ziskind, who says he’s aware of the city’s financial constraints, said his experience with projects that have a larger annual budget than the city provides him with insight into how to do things that make sense with a plan to pay for it. 

If the city does need to raise revenue through property tax hikes, then Ziskind said he thinks it needs to be up to residents and a vote.

June 4, 2025

Rough Draft / Dunwoody Reporter: David Ziskind announces run for Post 2 Dunwoody City Council

https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2025/06/04/ziskind-announces-dunwoody-council-race/

“As a proactive problem solver with deep experience in aligning diverse stakeholder interests, I have heard loud and clear from constituents throughout Dunwoody that they want smart and sensible infrastructure improvements without an undue financial burden,” Ziskind said.  “We need to earn our citizens’ trust by being responsible with our budget and thoughtful with prioritizing vital improvements to our city.”

"If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority."

Dunwoody deserves strategic planning and responsible spending.  We can balance our City's priorities and our budget, and get more accomplished, by being smart about how we do it.  Through prioritization and being sensitive to lifecycle costs that are sustainable long term, we can accomplish great things in Dunwoody without an undue financial burden.