An Atlanta City Council committee decided to toss out some of the changes to the Office of Inspector General being pushed by the Dickens administration as part of an effort to limit the watchdog’s power.
Legislation introduced by City Council earlier this month raised eyebrows by suggesting the mayor’s office be given the authority to appoint all members to the inspector general’s governing board. It also struck the word “corruption” from the government watchdog’s mission, essentially barring the investigative office from launching probes into illegal activity within City Hall.
It was a federal corruption investigation in 2017 that spurred creation of the office.
Council members on the finance committee opted Tuesday to strike some of the Dickens administration’s changes, including the mayor’s sole authority to appoint members of the inspector general’s governing board.
Under the substitute bill, community groups — like the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Atlanta Bar Association — would still have a say over who was nominated to the governing board, but gives the mayor and Atlanta City Council the power to nominate two members. They also added back “corruption” into the IG mission statement, but included additional language that curtails probes into illegal activity.
The substitute legislation passed out of committee in a 5-2 vote. Council member Liliana Bakhtiari, a co-sponsor on the bill, voted against the measure because she did not believe it was ready to move forward. Council member Jason Winston chose to abstain.
“For me, this is not about this administration, this is not about this (inspector general),” Bakhtiari said. “It’s about making sure this is set up for long-term success.”
Among the lengthy list of critics signed up to speak against the bill at public comment was former Council President Felicia Moore, who served in the role when the original IG legislation was written.
Moore told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she believes the changes proposed by the mayor’s office “go too far.”
“I told many of the council members: ‘If you pass this as it is, save the citizens money and just get rid of the Office of Inspector General,’” said Moore, who lost to Dickens in the 2021 mayoral runoff election. “Because (the IG) won’t have authority to do anything.”
Inspector General Shannon Manigault has not only rallied local support, but also the backing of inspectors general nationwide.
In a Jan. 13 letter to Mayor Andre Dickens and City Council members, the national Association of Inspectors General said it had “grave concerns” over the legislation proposed in Atlanta.
“If this ordinance becomes law, Atlanta’s OIG will no longer be able to effectively provide the oversight work that it was established to do for Atlanta’s residents just a few years ago,” Will Fletcher, president of the association, wrote.
Some of the changes, such as those related to how employees are notified about investigations and the legal rights they have during interviews, have garnered support within City Hall. But movement of the substitute legislation on Tuesday was just the first step in a lengthy process to review the changes. The legislation will also be reviewed by the Committee on Council.
“This isn’t even the first step in a long path,” Council member Howard Shook said. “We have an opportunity here to begin to fix what we all agree needs to be fixed.
“I predict, at the end of the day though, some of this is going to come down to the need to agree to disagree,” he said.
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