Atlanta lawmakers are amplifying Mozley Park residents’ demands for a noise barrier to be built along Interstate 20 to silence noise pollution from traffic in majority-Black parts of the city. The Atlanta City Council unanimously supported a resolution on Monday that urges state and federal regulators to build a noise barrier along the stretch of I-20 that […]
City Politics
Posted inCity Politics, Politics & Policy
‘Maynard for Mayor’ 50 Years Later
It was 50 years ago today when Maynard Holbrook Jackson Jr. shook up the South. At the ripe old age of 35, the Democratic candidate defeated incumbent Sam Massell in a runoff election to become Atlanta’s first Black mayor, receiving 60% of the vote to Massell’s 40%. Jackson’s landmark election ushered in an era of […]
Posted inCity Politics
Two City Council Members Will Push to Put ‘Cop City’ on the Ballot
Two Atlanta City Council members are drafting legislation that would put plans to build the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, dubbed “Cop City,” up for a ballot referendum in November. Their efforts come in the aftermath of the city attorney announcing on Monday that officials would not begin to verify the 116,000 signatures collected by […]
Posted inCity Politics
Will Council Members Who Voted to Fund ‘Cop City’ Lose Black Support?
Controversy over the Atlanta City Council’s decision to fund construction for the divisive public safety training center — nicknamed “Cop City” by critics — continues this week as activists in opposition prepare for an entrenched political battle. Stop Cop City organizers launched their week of action over the weekend, with events planned through July 1. […]
Posted inCity Politics
City Council Approves Largest Budget in Atlanta History
The largest proposed budget in Atlanta history received a stamp of approval from the Atlanta City Council. Members voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon in favor of the estimated $790 million general fund budget, which Mayor Andre Dickens is due to sign into law by June 30. Dickens joined the meeting and thanked the council for approving […]
Posted inCity Politics
What Would Atlanta Teens Do If We Gave Them $790 Million to Spend on the Budget?
Budget season in Atlanta is nearing the home stretch. Before the City Council and Mayor Andre Dickens approve and sign off on the record-setting $790 million general fund tab, we had one question: What would local teens do with that money? After all, Dickens dubbed 2023 the “Year of the Youth,” launching an initiative in […]
Posted inCity Politics, Jobs, Public Services
Atlanta’s City Planning Leaders Are Struggling to Hire People. They’re Not Alone.
Could change be in store for Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Unit system? At a recent budget hearing for Atlanta’s Department of City Planning, leaders discussed the program aimed at giving residents a voice in how policy decisions affect their communities. Leaders of the department — responsible for long-term planning of how the city will look […]
Posted inCity Politics, Economy, Jobs, Public Services
What We Heard at the Budget Hearing for Atlanta’s New Department of Labor
Workforce development leaders from the office of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens are making final preparations to open the first city-run Department of Labor and Employment Services in July. Last week, Odie Donald II, Mayor Andre Dickens’ chief of staff, laid out plans for the new department during its inaugural City Council budget briefing. Donald has […]
Posted inCity Politics, Policing, Public Safety, Uncategorized
Now That ‘Cop City’ Is Being Built, What’s Next?
The Atlanta City Council approved using public funds to build a controversial new public safety training center — dubbed “Cop City” by opponents — following more than 14 hours of rebuke from hundreds of local residents who traveled to City Hall on Monday to oppose it. An Atlanta Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee report released in […]
Posted inCity Politics, Policing, Public Safety, Uncategorized
Atlanta Leaders Just Voted to Approve ‘Cop City’ Funding
The Atlanta City Council voted early Tuesday morning to approve legislation to move forward with funding for a new public safety training center known as “Cop City.” The 11-4 vote came after more than 14 hours of public comment that stretched overnight — mostly from people in opposition. Less than two weeks earlier, Atlanta government […]