Atlanta City Council

Last updated

Atlanta City Council
Seal of Atlanta.png
Type
Type
Term limits
None
Leadership
City Council President
Doug Shipman (January 3, 2022 (2022-01-03))
Structure
Seats
  • 16 Seats:
    • 1 Council president
    • 12 District seats
    • 3 At-large posts
Committees
  • City Utilities Committee
  • Committee on Council
  • Community Development & Human Services Committee
  • Finance/Executive Committee
  • Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee
  • Transportation Committee
  • Zoning Committee
Length of term
4 years
Salary$60,300 ($62,000, council president)
Elections
Last election
November 2, 2021
Next general election
November 4, 2025
Meeting place
ATL City Hall.jpg
Atlanta City Hall
Website
Atlanta City Council website
Minutes of Atlanta City Council and Committees

The Atlanta City Council (formerly the Atlanta Board of Aldermen until 1974) is the main municipal legislative body for the city of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It consists of 16 members: the council president, twelve members elected from districts within the city, and three members representing at-large posts. The city council is the legislative branch of the Atlanta city government.

Contents

History

Atlanta's first city charter dated to 1874. The Board of Aldermen consisted of 18 members and each alderman was elected citywide. Since its founding in 1847, Atlanta was divided into wards.

On December 7, 1870, William Finch and George Graham became the first black men to be elected to the Atlanta Board of Aldermen. Graham represented the Third Ward, and Finch represented the Fourth Ward. [1] No other black people were elected to the city council until Q. V. Williamson in 1965. [2]

In 1965, Louise Watley became the first black woman to run for the board of aldermen. [3]

The first woman to serve on the council was Panke Bradley Miller in 1972, and the first black woman was Carolyn Long Banks in 1980.

Alex Wan became the first Asian American member, for District 6, in the November 2009 municipal election. [4]

Beginning in 2014, [5] Atlanta City Council members are paid an annual salary of $60,300 ($62,000 for the council president) for their service. [6]

Changes to city charter

Grace Towns Hamilton, the first black woman elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, was instrumental in overhauling Atlanta's century-old city charter. In 1965, Atlanta had requested that the Public Service Administration of Chicago review its government; the PSA described the system of wards and aldermen as "unmanageable". After Hamilton tried unsuccessfully to make smaller changes in the late 1960s, she introduced a bill to establish an Atlanta Charter Commission, which passed in 1971. Additionally, the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 meant that the Department of Justice was now filing lawsuits against cities with similar systems. [7]

The Atlanta Charter Commission, consisting of 30 members, began work on July 1, 1971. Its chairman was Atlanta attorney Emmet J. Bondurant, and Hamilton was vice-chairman. Charles F. Wittenstein was executive director, and Hazel A. Jacobs was administrative assistant. [8] A final draft was completed on December 1, 1972, and legislation adopting the new charter was signed by governor Jimmy Carter on March 16, 1973. [7] The new charter took effect on January 7, 1974.

The members of the Atlanta Charter Commission were: [8]

  • C. A. Bacote
  • Henry Bauer
  • Emmet J. Bondurant
  • Donald Bradley
  • Robert Brisbane
  • J. H. Calhoun
  • Paul Coverdell
  • F. T. Davis Jr.
  • Walt Davis
  • James E. Dean
  • Charles Ford
  • Ed Garrard
  • Larry Gellerstedt
  • Grace Towns Hamilton
  • J. R. Henderson
  • Donald H. Hollowell
  • M. Fred Jones
  • Richard A. Kimbel
  • Perry O. Lemmons
  • Margaret MacDougall
  • Sidney Marcus
  • G. Everett Millican
  • P. Andrew Patterson
  • John Savage
  • Edgar E. Schukraft
  • Carey E. Schulten
  • Cecil R. Turner
  • Horace Ward
  • Joe C. Whitley
  • Prentiss Q. Yancey Jr.

The 1974 charter resulted in many changes to Atlanta's government. The Board of Aldermen was changed to the City Council: the position of vice-mayor was replaced by the council president, and 12 council-members would be elected from individual districts, along with six at-large posts. Initially, the plan was to reduce the council to 12 seats of 8 districts and 4 at-large posts, but this was opposed by the Board of Aldermen as well as the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP, which was concerned fewer total members "would reduce the base of representation and thereby reduce the influence of the Negro vote." [7]

The administration of the day-to-day operation of city government was transferred to the executive branch, and legislative authority was vested in the City Council, effectively transitioning Atlanta to a strong-mayor system. The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled in Jackson v. Inman, 232 Ga. 566 (1974), that the new charter was legally valid and its enabling legislation did not violate the state constitution. [9]

Hamilton still believed that at 18 members, the City Council was too large, and worked to change it as long as she was in office. [7]

A new charter was enacted in 1996 that reduced the representation of Council to 12 districts and three at large posts—effective January 1998.

Structure

The president of the City Council is elected from the city at-large (citywide). The Council consists of 15 members, 12 elected from single-member districts and three elected at-large.

The Council president presides at all meetings of the Council and votes in the case of a tie. The president of Council appoints chairs and members of the various committees, subject to rejection by a majority of the Council. The Council president exercises all powers and discharges all duties of the mayor in case of a vacancy in that office or during the disability of the mayor. Councilmembers are elected to four-year terms commencing with the first Monday in January.

The members of the Council elect a president pro tempore each year to serve a one-year term beginning with the first meeting in January. The president pro tempore presides over the Council meetings in the president's absence.

Legislative

The legislative body, consisting of the Council, makes the laws that govern the city. It is responsible for the development of policies which serve as operational standards and establishes the parameters for the administration of city government.

Legislative process

Legislation can be introduced on the floor of Council by a Councilmember as a personal paper, or can come through a standing committee. In either case, almost all legislation goes before a committee for discussion at some time. After a paper has been through the committee process, it is voted on by the full Council. The Council may accept or reject the committee's recommendations. A majority vote is needed for adoption. When a paper is adopted by the Council, it goes to the mayor for signature. The paper must be approved or vetoed within seven days. If not signed or vetoed within that period, it automatically becomes law. If vetoed, the Council can override with a two-thirds vote.

Executive

The Executive body carries out the laws that have been instituted by the City Council. It is responsible for the day-to-day operations of city government.

This system allows the Council to maintain a strong system of checks and balances.

Legislation takes two forms—ordinances and resolutions. An ordinance establishes a permanent rule of government. Every official act of the Council, having the force and effect of law, must be an ordinance. Ordinances must be read before the full Council at two regular meetings. There are exceptions, for example, a Charter amendment requires three readings.

Resolutions usually express intent or support of various projects and enterprises or establish legislative policy of a general nature. Resolutions need be read only once and can be introduced and adopted at the same meeting.

Standing committees

The standing committees of the Atlanta City Council meet to consider legislation and to make recommendations on each item. The Committees then report their actions to the full Council. Approximately 150 pieces of legislation are handled per meeting. Citizens have the opportunity to appear before a standing committee and to express their views on any piece of legislation.

Comments from the public on matters related to zoning changes are heard by the Zoning Review Board, an independent body composed of appointed city residents. The Zoning Review Board meets once a month.

The Council is required by law to hold a public hearing on certain matters including changes to the City Charter, changes to the City Code of Ordinances, tax increases, etc. Notification must be provided to residents in advance of any public hearing.

Current committees

There are a total of seven standing committees.

  • Committee on Council (chair, Liliana Bakhtiari)
  • City Utilities (chair, Jason Winston)
  • Community Development / Human Services (chair, Jason Dozier)
  • Finance / Executive (chair, Alex Wan)
  • Public Safety and Legal Administration (chair, Dustin R. Hillis)
  • Transportation (chair, Amir Farohki)
  • Zoning (chair, Marci C. Overstreet)

Membership

Current members

Presidents

Past members

1974 Atlanta City Council

The 1974 council was the first to convene under the new city charter. The Atlanta Constitution described the group as "nine businessmen, four community activists, two lawyers, [a] coach, [a] housewife and [a] retired plumber". [10] Wyche Fowler was the council president.

SeatCouncilmember
District 1 John H. Calhoun
District 2Charles Helms
District 3James Howard
District 4James Bond
District 5Morris Finley
District 6Nick Lambros
District 7George Cotsakis
District 8Richard Guthman
District 9 Arthur Langford Jr.
District 10Ira Jackson
District 11 Carl Ware
District 12Hugh Pierce
At-large Post 13Gregory Griggs
At-large Post 14 Marvin S. Arrington Sr.
At-large Post 15 Panke Bradley
At-large Post 16 Buddy Fowlkes
At-large Post 17 Q. V. Williamson
At-large Post 18Jack Summers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia City Council</span> Legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

The Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number. Each member's term is four years, and there are no limits on the number of terms a member may serve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honolulu City Council</span> City council in Honolulu, HI

Honolulu City Council is the legislature of the City and County of Honolulu, the capital and largest city in Hawai'i, the fiftieth state in the United States. The City and County of Honolulu is a municipal corporation that manages government aspects traditionally exercised by both municipalities and counties in other states. Each of the nine members of its city council is elected to a four-year term and can serve no more than two consecutive terms. Council members are elected by voters in nine administrative districts that, since 1991, are reapportioned every ten years. Like the Honolulu mayor, members of the city council are elected via nonpartisan elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago City Council</span> Legislative body for Chicago

The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms. The council is called into session regularly, usually monthly, to consider ordinances, orders, and resolutions whose subject matter includes code changes, utilities, taxes, and many other issues. The Chicago City Council Chambers are located in Chicago City Hall, as are the downtown offices of the individual alderpersons and staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Council of the District of Columbia</span> Legislative branch of the D.C. government

The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the district is not part of any U.S. state and is overseen directly by the federal government.

The Calgary City Council is the legislative governing body that represents the citizens of Calgary. The council consists of 15 members: the chief elected official, titled the mayor, and 14 councillors. Jyoti Gondek was elected mayor in October 2021 as the city's 37th. Each of the 14 councillors represent one of the city's 14 wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Council</span> City council; lawmaking body of New York City, U.S.

The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leicester City Council</span> Unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England

Leicester City Council is a unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England. It consists of 54 councillors, representing 22 wards in the city, overseen by a directly elected mayor. It is currently controlled by the Labour Party and has been led by mayor Sir Peter Soulsby since 2011. The council also appoints a ceremonial Lord Mayor who chairs council meetings; the directly elected mayor is termed the City Mayor to distinguish the post from the Lord Mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Atlanta</span> Municipal government of Atlanta, Georgia, United States

The city government of Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States is composed of a mayor and a body of one councilman from each of 12 districts, a City Council President, and 3 other at-large councilmen:

A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural council, village council, or board of aldermen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville Metro Council</span>

The Louisville Metro Council is the city council of Louisville, Kentucky. It was formally established in January 2003 upon the merger of the former City of Louisville with Jefferson County and replaced the city's Board of Aldermen and the county's Fiscal Court. Louisville City Hall houses the offices and chambers of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston City Council</span> Municipal council of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

The Boston City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is made up of 13 members: 9 district representatives and 4 at-large members. Councillors are elected to two-year terms and there is no limit on the number of terms an individual can serve. Boston uses a strong-mayor form of government in which the city council acts as a check against the power of the executive branch, the mayor. The council is responsible for approving the city budget; monitoring, creating, and abolishing city agencies; making land use decisions; and approving, amending, or rejecting other legislative proposals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit City Council</span> Legislative body of Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

The Detroit City Council is the legislative body of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The full-time council is required to meet every business day for at least 10 months of the year, with at least eight of these meetings occurring at a location besides city hall. The Detroit City Council has elected Mary Sheffield to be its next president. The council may convene for special meetings at the call of the mayor or at least four members of council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis Board of Aldermen</span> City legislative

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen is the lawmaking body of St. Louis, an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. The Board consists of 14 alderpersons, one elected by each of the city's 14 wards. The President of the Board is a separate position elected by all city voters with the same voting power as an alderperson, and serves as the body's presiding officer.

Local government in New Jersey is composed of counties and municipalities. Local jurisdictions in New Jersey differ from those in some other states because every square foot of the state is part of exactly one municipality; each of the 564 municipalities is in exactly one county; and each of the 21 counties has more than one municipality. New Jersey has no independent cities, or consolidated city-counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Atlanta elections</span>

A municipal election in the City of Atlanta was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. Atlanta is the capital of the state of Georgia and is the largest city in Georgia and is the center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego City Council</span> Legislative branch of the City of San Diego, California

The San Diego City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of San Diego, California. The city council was first established in San Diego in 1850. The council uses a strong mayor system with a separately elected mayor who acts as the executive. There are currently nine members of the council. City council members serve a four-year term and are limited to two successive terms.

Cathy Woolard is an American politician who served as a member of the Atlanta City Council for District 6 from November 1998 to 2002, and as President of the Council from 2002 to 2004. When she began her term in 1997, she was the first openly-gay elected official in Georgia history, and she was the first woman to be President of the Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Bender</span> American politician and city planner in Minnesota

Elizabeth Peterson "Lisa" Bender is an American politician, city planner, and a former member of the Minneapolis City Council from the 10th Ward. In 2018, she was unanimously elected president of the Minneapolis City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Board of Aldermen</span> Former legislature of New York City

The New York City Board of Aldermen was a body that was the upper house of New York City's Common Council from 1824 to 1875, the lower house of its Municipal Assembly upon consolidation in 1898 until the charter was amended in 1901 to abolish the Municipal Assembly and its upper house, and its unicameral legislature from 1875 to 1897 and 1902 to 1937. The corresponding lower house was known as the Board of Assistants or the Board of Assistant Aldermen from 1824 to 1875, while the upper house was known as the Council from 1898 to 1901. In 1938 a new charter came into effect that replaced the Board of Aldermen with the New York City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston City Charter</span>

The Boston City Charter is a series of State statutes which codifies a system of rules for the government of the City of Boston, Massachusetts. The Charter is not a typical city constitution but rather a series of amendments, General Court rulings, and case law which form the basis of government. The central organs of the Boston City Charter are the Mayoral Office and City Council. The composition of these offices, their term length, manner of election, and scope of power have changed throughout the years.

References

  1. Bacote, C. A. (Winter 1955). "The Negro in Atlanta Politics". Phylon. Clark Atlanta University. 16 (4): 333–350. doi:10.2307/272648.
  2. "Funeral arrangements were being made for Q.V. Williamson". UPI. August 5, 1985.
  3. "Primary poll indicates Negro winners at Atlanta". NPI. September 25, 1965. Two others—Dr. H. E. Tate and Q. V. Williamson—face a run-off with their respective opponents for the board of education and alderman.
  4. Matt Hennie (December 2, 2009). "Bell, Wan wink at history in scoring LGBT wins". Project Q Atlanta.
  5. "Atlanta City Council's 33% pay raise begins today". Buckhead View. January 1, 2014. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  6. Wheatley, Thomas (December 14, 2012). "City Council, mayor salaries will increase; thousands of Atlantans immediately consider running for public office". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Spritzer, Lorraine Nelson; Bergmark, Jean B. (1997). Grace Towns Hamilton and the Politics of Southern Change. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press. ISBN   0820318892.
  8. 1 2 Atlanta Charter Commission (July 1972). "The First Draft of a New Charter for the City of Atlanta".
  9. Supreme Court of Georgia (July 3, 1974). "Jackson v. Inman". Justia.
  10. Merriner, Jim (January 1, 1975). "City Council, 1974 Not a 'Rubber Stamp' for Jackson". The Atlanta Constitution.