The task force established to review the procedures of the Office of the Inspector General and Ethics Office will meet for the first time Tuesday. Atlanta City Council voted earlier this month to create the task force after debate over how much authority the city’s watchdog offices have to conduct investigations.
The city’s Office of Inspector General was created in 2020, in the wake of a yearslong federal Department of Justice corruption investigation at City Hall, and independently investigates within Atlanta’s government.
Inspector General Shannon Manigault raised concerns in May of a “concerted effort” within city departments to obstruct investigations. Her remarks made during public comment at City Council sparked conversations about whether Atlanta government is riddled with misconduct or if Manigault was overstepping the office’s duties.
The task force established to hash out these issues will meet Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall. But some, including the inspector general’s governing board, have questioned why there aren’t more individuals in the group with direct experience working inside a watchdog office.
The Association of Inspectors General wrote a letter to the Dickens administration this month requesting involvement in task force meetings. David McClintock, who chairs a government relations committee for the association, said Atlanta is not the only city that has debated the scope of the inspector general’s power.
“The reality of it is they’re not alone,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This is something that we do every year in different places throughout the country, and it plays out differently everywhere. And there are solutions for these problems.”
The city’s task force will meet at least three times publicly and has 45 days to draft a report and make recommendations for any changes to city code related to the accountability offices.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Back in June when Joe Biden visited Atlanta for CNN’s presidential debate against Donald Trump, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens had a message for voters.
“In Atlanta, we must show up to vote,” he said at a campaign event for the president.
Less than two months away from the November election, the mayor’s efforts to get voters to the polls has ramped up. The city launched a new nonpartisan, youth-led get-out-the-vote (GOTV) initiative last week that Dickens kicked off at his alma mater, Benjamin E. Mays High School.
“Voting is how we get city services we deserve, and we make our voices heard,” Dickens said. “It is a foundational element of our democracy and long before I was an elected official I was encouraging citizens to vote.”
The upcoming election will not only decide the country’s next president, but also U.S. House races and all 236 General Assembly seats. City residents will also cast ballots in the race for a coveted citywide seat on Atlanta City Council.
“With the several critical elections at the local, state and national level, it’s important that we come together as a city to make our voices heard,” said Austin Wagner, the mayor’s deputy chief of staff. “The ‘Go Vote ATL’ campaign is about more than just casting ballots; it’s about empowering every citizen to be an active participant in shaping the future of our city.”
You can find out more about the city’s “Go Vote ATL” campaign and get information about the upcoming election at https://govoteatl.com/.
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Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
This year, the Piedmont Park Conservancy is celebrating it’s 35th anniversary and 120 years of Piedmont Park as a beloved central green space in the city. Throughout 2023, the park hosted more than 6 million visitors.
Since it was formed, the conservancy has raised and contributed more than $110 million toward park restoration and improvements.
The city and conservancy want the public’s help crafting a first-of-its-kind Piedmont Park Comprehensive Plan that will help guide development of the park for years to come. From now through November, residents are invited to provide input online or attend one of the number of community input events hosted at the park.
The final plan is expected to be presented to the community in February 2025.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
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