The Fulton County Board of Commissioners appears poised to approve a major budget boost to help address horrific conditions at the county’s Rice Street jail and an ongoing backlog of criminal court cases that has frustrated judicial system staffers for years. The seven-member board on Wednesday delayed its vote on the latest fiscal year budget […]
Local Politics
Posted inLocal Politics, Politics & Policy
Runoff Elections: South Fulton Elects Its First Female Mayor
The Blackest city in America elected its first female mayor on Tuesday. South Fulton City Council member Carmalitha Gumbs will become the city’s latest mayor in January after defeating her runoff election opponent, Mark Baker, by a sizable margin, according to unofficial vote totals. More than 13,400 people cast ballots in the contest, according to […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
Scandal, Growth, and a Crossroads: What’s at Stake in South Fulton’s Election
Andrea Jones is tired of hearing about the controversies surrounding South Fulton Mayor khalid “Kobi” kamau. The 51-year-old Jones is an Atlanta native who moved to South Fulton in 2015 because of the area’s more affordable homes and proximity to her family. She and other residents who spoke with Capital B Atlanta this week suggested […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics, News, Voting
Judge Fines Fulton Commission $10K a Day for Blocking MAGA Election Picks
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners has been ordered to pay $10,000 per day until its members vote to approve the appointment of a pair of controversial Republican nominees to the county’s board of Registration and Elections. Superior Court Judge David Emerson issued his ruling Wednesday afternoon following a contentious morning hearing in which attorneys […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Politics & Policy
Rohit Malhotra Aims to Improve Black Economic Mobility in City Council Role
Improving economic outcomes for Black people living on the margins who were born and raised in Atlanta remains the top priority for Rohit Malhotra in his bid to become the next Atlanta City Council president. The 38-year-old self-described “policy nerd,” who lives in Grant Park, is the founder of the Center for Civic Innovation, a […]
Posted inBlack Businesses, Local Politics
Tattoo and Art Space in Atlanta to Reopen Following Mayor’s Intervention in Zoning Fight
Miya Bailey was in a celebratory mood Wednesday evening after receiving word from an Atlanta official he declined to name that his beloved tattoo studio and art gallery, City of Ink, is “no longer in violation” of city zoning laws. “I really appreciate everybody who had a hand in helping out in this situation,” Bailey, […]
Posted inHousing, Local Politics, Politics & Policy, State Politics
Atlanta Residents’ Calls for Rent Control Ignored by Lawmakers
Atlanta Housing Justice League Executive Director Alison Johnson expressed anger and regret on Monday after bills backed by her organization failed to advance before the legislature’s Thursday Crossover Day deadline. Failure to pass related bills in the state House or the state Senate by the end of Crossover Day means it’s unlikely Georgia’s legislature will pass […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local Politics
Fulton County Denies DA Fani Willis More Funding in 2025 Budget
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners opted against allocating a substantial monetary increase for the county district attorney’s office when finalizing its 2025 fiscal year budget on Wednesday, perhaps bringing a monthslong standoff with DA Fani Willis into its next phase. The board allocated $39.3 million of its nearly $1 billion budget to the DA’s […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local Politics, Politics & Policy
Fani Willis Threatens to Sue Fulton County Commissioners Over Budget
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis issued a seven-page letter to the Fulton County Board of Commissioners last month threatening to sue if her office is not sufficiently funded in 2025. Through an open records request, Capital B Atlanta obtained documents Willis’ office sent to the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 11 in response to […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Politics & Policy, State Politics
Revived Fani Willis Probe Is ‘a Complete Waste of Time,’ Democrats Say
Georgia Democrats were caught off guard Monday during the first day of legislative session when state Senate Republicans voted to reopen their investigation into alleged misdeeds committed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during her 2020 election interference case against Donald Trump. Sen. Harold Jones, D-Augusta, said day one of the General Assembly’s annual […]