Monday, May 20, 2013
On Monday, May 20 from 5 – 6 pm.
(The following is an announcement submitted by the office of Atlanta City Council) Major crime in Atlanta is down 18 percent since 2010. However, the recent rash of petty thefts, including iPhone thefts or "Apple picking", has created the perception that crime is worse than ever. On Monday, May 20, from 5 – 6 pm, Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell will host his first “Twitter Chat” to hear the public’s opinions and ideas on how best to combat crime in the city. Monday’s chat is an invitation from the Council President for anyone on Twitter to participate in an open exchange about crime in Atlanta and to share ideas on solutions to continue the decline. Questions addressed during the Twitter Chat will be selected both in …
Monday, April 8, 2013
The Rev. Darrion Fletcher says he'll run against Ivory Lee Young, the incumbent Atlanta City Council member for District 3.
Ivory Lee Young, the Atlanta City Council incumbent for District 3, apparently has some competition. The Rev. Darrion Fletcher of Walking Through the Vine Ministry says on his website that he'll run for that seat in the November election. Fletcher's website says he started the ministry to serves the communities of Vine City and English Avenue in the Atlanta area. Young was first elected to the District 3 seat in 2001. The District 3 boundaries that take effect in 2014 include part of Atlanta's westside.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The attorney who was running in District 2 says "I have come to the realization that the timing of my effort is not quite right."
Todd Robinson is withdrawing his candidacy for the District 2 seat on the Atlanta City Council. Robinson, a 32-year-old attorney who lives in Midtown, announced a few weeks ago that he was running. He said in a Tuesday email to Patch: I have informed my supporters that I am withdrawing my name from consideration in this year's Atlanta City Council election. After further consideration and discussions with my family, I have come to the realization that the timing of my effort is not quite right. I will continue to serve my community in many other ways and will re-evaluate public service at a later date. Some of the neighborhoods in District 2 include Inman Park, Poncey Highlands, the Old Fourth Ward and Midtown. Redrawn district lines will…
Monday, February 11, 2013
The attorney will seek the District 2 council seat.
Another candidate has joined the race for the Atlanta City Council District 2 seat now held by Kwanza Hall. Todd Robinson, a 32-year-old attorney, announced he's running on his candidate website. Jon Jones also says he's running for the District 2 seat. Some of the neighborhoods in District 2 include Inman Park, Poncey Highlands, the Old Fourth Ward and Midtown. Redrawn district lines will go into effect in 2014. Robinson lives in Midtown. His website says he grew up in Athens, attended the University of Georgia and worked as a child abuse investigator with the Georgia Department of Human Services. He attended Emory Law School and practices commercial and business litigation with the law firm Knight Johnson, LLC. He's been on the Midtown …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Jon Jones, running in District 2, favors using technology to connect with voters.
Jon Jones says on his website that he's running for the District 2 seat on the Atlanta City Council. Kwanza Hall now holds the seat. Jones' website says he favors "Direct democracy," which he defines as "a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives." This involvement would occur through "user-friendly technology, electronic voting will allow every member of District 2 to vote on legislation, author new legislation, or make pleas to the city." Jon Jones' website says he's a graduate of Rutgers University, moved to Atlanta in 2010 and works as a marketing/financial professional. Hall has been on …
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Atlanta City Council returns from winter recess next week with new 2013 committee assignments.
It’s a new year and an election year to boot in Georgia’s capital as the City of Atlanta General Election will be held on November 5, 2013 and any required General Run-off Election will be held on December 4, 2013. This past November, Mayor Kasim Reed announced he would run for re-election in 2013 and would not be seeking a higher office in Washington D.C. Most councilmembers are expected to run in 2013. In a previous version of this article it was reported that District 1 City Councilwoman Carla Smith would not seek re-election, but that is not correct. Patch regrets the error and has made the appropriate edit. Last July, State Rep. Ralph Long (D-Atlanta) lost to fellow incumbent Simone Bell (D-Atlanta) in the race for the Georgia House …
Friday, December 14, 2012
Atlanta mayor allows ordinance calling for more than a 50 percent pay increase to slide into law without his signature, but promises to work with city workers next month in effort to reach across-the board pay increases for Atlanta employees.
The 52 percent pay raise that the Atlanta City Council voted to give itself last week became law on Wednesday despite Mayor Kasim Reed not signing off on it. But he didn’t block it either as the wife of an Atlanta police officer had asked with her change.org petition urging Reed to veto the pay increase and instead reward the city’s first responders. On Dec. 3, council members voted 10-4 to reward itself a pay increase from $39,473 a year to $60,300 that will now take effect in January 2014. When the council approved the ordinance, Reed said through a spokesperson that he believed many members of council deserved a raise, but was concerned about the timing. While the council has not received a pay increase since 2005, with the pay hike, …
Friday, December 7, 2012
Kelly Uhlis starts change.org petition to urge Mayor Kasim Reed to veto city council 52 percent pay raise and "increase our First Responders pay."
Following Monday’s vote by the Atlanta City Council to give itself a pay raise of more than 50 percent, the wife of an Atlanta police officer has started a change.org petition urging Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed to veto the pay increase and instead reward the city’s first responders. Kelly Uhlis of Holly Springs is the wife of 12-year APD veteran, Sgt. Tommy Uhlis. She is angered that council members voted 10-4 to reward itself a pay increase from $39,473 a year to $60,300. If approved, it will take effect in January 2014. Uhlis told Fox 5 that her husband’s pay was frozen by the same council that approved itself such a sizeable pay increase. When the officers did receive an increase for cost of living expenses, Uhlis said escalating health …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
District 6 Councilman Alex Wan introduces legislation supporting marriage equality.
During the same Monday meeting in which it controversially voted to give itself a more than 50 percent pay raise, the Atlanta City Council tackled another hot topic by approving a resolution to support marriage equality. District 6 Councilman Alex Wan introduced the legislation and the resolution passed by an 11-2 vote with councilmembers Howard Shook and C.T. Martin voting against. Since the state has in place a constitutional ban on marriage equality, the resolution is expected to have almost no legal impact in Georgia. But it certainly caused celebration in certain portions of the gay-friendly communities of Midtown, Virginia-Highland, and Morningside that Wan represents. On his Facebook page Monday evening, Wan posted: "Proud to share …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Mayor Kasim Reed insists he will not accept a raise, even if he is re-elected in 2013.
The Atlanta City Council voted to give itself a pay raise of more than 50 percent on Monday by a 10-4 vote. The pay increase will take effect in January 2014 and up councilmember’s salary from $39,473 a year to $60,300. The increase in compensation will have no current budgetary impact. A final decision over the legislation now goes to Mayor Kasim Reed, who through a spokesperson Monday promised to decline his 25 percent raise or $37,000 pay increase in the ordinance. The mayor wants to review the ordinance before deciding whether to sign it, veto it or let it slide into law without his signature. Reed is in line for a raise from $147,500 to $184,300. Reed said he is reserving judgment until he has time to carefully read the legislation as…
Chris H
1:52 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
It would have been a tough battle against current councilmen Kwanza Hall. He is very popular, especially in my neighborhood, Old Fourth Ward. more ›