Atlanta employees asked to return to City Hall in April

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order similarly requiring federal department and agency heads to “take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person.”

Metro Atlanta is home to several federal agencies and tens of thousands of their employees, many of whom still work some form of a hybrid schedule five years after the COVID-19 outbreak closed many offices.

A flood of workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who returned to offices in earlier this month caused a traffic headache for that part of the city.

Atlanta faces a projected $20 million budget deficit at the end of Fiscal Year 2025 in June, and both the Dickens administration and City Council leaders have signaled there will likely be departmental cuts. Council budget leader Howard Shook told the AJC that includes potential layoffs.

Are you a City of Atlanta employee with thoughts about the return-to-work mandate? Shoot me an email at riley.bunch@ajc.com.

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In 1927, the state of Georgia gifted the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall a massive marble statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens, who served as the former vice president of the Confederate States during the Civil War and later the 50th governor of Georgia.

Despite local attempts to scrub the city of its Confederate monuments and even pleas from Stephens’ descendants to remove his likeness from the nation’s Capitol, the figure has remained untouched.

In 2021, there was a state legislative effort to replace the Stephens’ statue with one of former U.S. Rep John Lewis.

Now, Atlanta City Council members are urging Congress to replace the Confederate leader with a statue of the beloved former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who died last year at 100 years old.

“Alexander Hamilton Stephens served as the vice presidency of the Confederate States of America, an entity that fought to preserve the institution of slavery,” the resolution says. “It is important to acknowledge and learn from our history while also striving to represent values of equality, justice and progress.”

Council members unanimously backed the call for the statue’s replacement, saying that Carter “dedicated his life to public service, humanitarian work and to the promotion of peace and democracy.”

“President Carter’s legacy reflects the values and aspirations of all people of Georgia and the United States as a whole,” the resolution says.

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Credit: Courtesy of the Atlanta City Council

Credit: Courtesy of the Atlanta City Council

Olivia Parks Woods, Atlanta’s first Black woman to serve as municipal clerk for the city, died last week at age 76.

Woods worked for the city of Atlanta for 26 years, including eight years as the clerk. During that time she led efforts to modernize the office and convert crucial records to electronic documents, helping preserve the city’s legislative history.

Her work in the profession extended outside of the state. Woods was the first Black Georgian to serve on the Board of Directors for the International Institute of Municipal Clerks and as President of the Georgia Municipal Clerks/Finance Officers Association.

“Ms. Woods was a visionary, and her leadership inspired City Hall and the public serving communities,” the clerk’s office said in a statement. “We will forever remember her contributions to her profession and community.”

Atlanta City Council members echoed sentiments about the impact she left on City Hall.

“We recognize her as the first African American woman elected City Clerk and, more importantly, credit her for modernizing the City’s legislative process,” council members said in a statement. “The progression helped bolster the efficiency and moderating of Council meetings. We extend our condolences to her family and those privileged to work with her.”

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Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com