Riley Bunch

Mayor Andre Dickens wants to extend all Atlanta tax allocation districts City's first-term mayor eyes TAD funds to tackle racial disparities as Atlanta grows, but he’ll need buy-in from the City Council, Fulton County and Atlanta Public Schools.

ICYMI: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens wants to extend all of Atlanta's tax allocation districts beyond 2050 and dedicate the funding to neighborhood revitalization. But that requires buy in from City Council, APS and Fulton County. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

Dickens responds to federal troops in cities: ‘Atlanta is safe’ Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said he’s actively working behind the scenes to avoid the threat of a federal law enforcement takeover.

New: As Trump continues to threaten to send federal troops to cities, Atlanta's mayor said he's actively trying to make sure the White House knows "Atlanta is safe." w/ @tiamitchell.com #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

2 council candidates disqualified over residency requirements Keith Andre Lewis, Jr. and Sherry B. Williams were accused by a resident of living outside District 11. Both argued the addresses were family homes they no longer lived in.

What happens when a City Council candidate's residency is challenged? Two southwest Atlanta hopefuls were disqualified yesterday after they were accused of living outside of the district. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

City of Atlanta Elections 2025: What to know 2026 city elections test

PSA: Did you know the @ajc.com has a 2025 Atlanta elections page? It's a hub for all our city election coverage leading up to November when voters will cast ballots for mayor, City Council president and all council member seats. #atlpol www.ajc.com/politics/atl...

Accessibility advocate appointed to fill vacant Atlanta City Council seat Atlanta’s City Council has selected Carden Wyckoff to temporarily replace Amir Farokhi in District 2.

A well known disability advocate will fill an empty seat on Atlanta City Council before voters elect a new representative for District 2. Wyckoff is known for her accessibility work with MARTA and advocacy for Beltline rail. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

City starts $3.8M resurfacing of key northwest Atlanta corridor Nighttime resurfacing of the corridor on Perry Boulevard and West Marietta Street from Hollywood Road to Marietta Boulevard begins Sept. 15.

Inside City Hall: Resurfacing of Perry Boulevard and West Marietta Street is underway -- the dilapidated corridor is a longtime source of frustration in the area. And council president candidates team up with allies to bolster their bids. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

Meet the candidates challenging Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens Atlanta’s mayors have a long history of winning a second term in office, but three political newcomers decided to launch bids despite tall odds.

Three political newcomers launched bids against Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens despite the power of incumbency: A community advocate. A corporate consultant. And a Trump-supporting former APD officer. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

Atlanta police improve bodycam use — but gaps remain An audit of Atlanta Police Department body camera recordings found officers are better at turning on cameras during civilian encounters — but issues remain.

A new city audit found that APD officers are significantly better at using their body cameras since a initial analysis in 2018. Still, 12% of calls went unrecorded and 20% of those captured were either started too late or stopped too early. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

Atlanta City Council race pits Marci Collier Overstreet against Rohit Malhotra It’s a sharp choice for voters between Atlanta’s political establishment and change in an election for the second-most powerful position at City Hall.

NEW: Inside the race for the Atlanta City Council president's gavel. In Nov, a two-term council member will face off against a progressive nonprofit leader. One warns of unnecessary change to city politics, the other says it's desperately needed. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/09...

Atlanta's Cascade Road reopens after nearly 4 years of construction Cascade Road in southwest Atlanta is open again after nearly four years of construction. Business owners say the delays hurt profits and foot traffic.

The Cascade Road corridor in southwest Atlanta has been under construction for nearly four years. After business owners pressured the city, it's finally open. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

Atlanta has been spared from Trump's takeover of blue cities — so far Black mayors in Democrat-led cities are at the top of the presidents list for federal intervention. But, so far, Atlanta has escaped his wrath.

NEW: Trump's law enforcement takeover of cities and threats to strip local governments of crucial federal funding is unlike anything political experts say they've seen before. Atlanta, so far, has remained unscathed. But will it last? #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

All candidates who qualified for Atlanta's November election Nearly 60 candidates are running in city races, including mayor and City Council seats.

59 candidates qualified for the upcoming city elections last week -- including four for mayor and two for City Council president. Here's who will be on the November ballot. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

City of Atlanta looks to offer financial relief to Cascade Road businesses Legislation introduced would set aside funds for Cascade businesses after, they say, slow infrastructure upgrades clogged the roadway and reduced foot traffic to their stores.

Small businesses along Cascade Road who have suffered from yearslong city construction may soon get financial relief. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

Atlanta City Council votes to ban short-term rentals in Home Park City leaders have struggled for years to regulate the industry that pits tourism against affordable housing.

Atlanta City Council approved legislation on Monday that bans short-term rentals in a west side neighborhood where residents say the industry has taken over its single-family homes. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

How Atlanta’s November election could shake up City Hall politics The mayor, City Council president and all 15 council spots are up for grabs. Four council races will be wide open after the incumbents announced they wouldn't seek reelection.

Campaign season officially kicks off this week in Atlanta as candidates will flock to Atlanta City Hall to file qualifying paperwork. Here's my breakdown on how key races could upend City Hall politics. #atlpol www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Advocates urge Atlanta to plan exit of Fulton inmates from detention center A resolution calling for the “staged withdrawal” of Fulton County inmates from Atlanta’s detention center has stalled, prompting calls for action from advocates.

Atlanta officials are legislatively required to start planning for the removal of Fulton inmates from the city detention center ahead of Dec. 2026. Advocates say those plans need to start now. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

Exiting Atlanta council member backs accessibility advocate for open seat Amir Farokhi will resign from Atlanta City Council this month, leaving a four-month gap to be filled before the winner of the November election takes office.

Good morning, Atlanta! Your Inside City Hall this morning: Resigning council member asks his colleagues to appoint an accessibility advocate to fill remainder of his term. And Cascade Road frustrations spur "around-the-clock" construction. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

A fatal shooting by an off-duty officer a year ago remains unresolved The GBI submitted its investigation into the incident to the Fulton County DA six months ago, but no charges have been filed.

NEW: “I still don’t believe my son is gone...with no answers, no accountability, no transparency." I sat down with Valerie Lans-Anderson to ahead of the year anniversary of her son being shot by an off-duty APD officer. No charges have been filed. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

NEW: The city's interim inspector general is closing cases - including probes into the mayor's office. But, although shared inside City Hall, those findings remain under wraps. Because the governing board that was given the power to make them public doesn't exist. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

Historic buildings in Atlanta being repurposed as affordable housing A century-old elementary school and former Atlanta Constitution printing facility are among the properties to be redeveloped as housing units.

A new fun one from me today: Historic buildings across Atlanta are helping the city reach its affordable housing goals. Including a near century-old elementary school that played a crucial role in the 1930s labor movement. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/07...

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens names Courtney English interim chief of staff A top advisor to the mayor, English previously served as chair of the Atlanta Board of Education.

NEW: Mayor Dickens named one of his senior advisors, Courtney English, as interim chief of staff for the city. English was the youngest chair of the Atlanta Board of Education and launched two unsuccessful bids for City Council positions. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/07...

Atlanta looks to lure police officers with $10K bonus ahead of World Cup The Atlanta Police Foundation announced it will offer $10,000 to already-trained officers as a way to skip onboarding and bolster the force ahead of next summer’s events.

Your Inside City Hall this week: Atlanta hopes to lure police officers ahead of the World Cup with $10K cash. Behind the scenes, APD is also working to crack down on overtime spending that made up half of the city's deficit last fiscal year. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/07...

Atlanta bans vape shops near schools Both state and city lawmakers have struggled to regulate the industry that, they say, dangerously targets young people.

New: Atlanta bans vape shops near schools and implements other requirements over the controversial industry, while state leaders have struggled for years to pass their own meaningful changes to curb youth access. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/07...

Demoliion of Atlanta Medical Center to begin Monday The abrupt closure of the 121-year-old hospital left a gap in the city’s health care system that has yet to be filled.

NEW: Three years after the hospital abruptly shuttered, the century-old Atlanta Medical Center is set to be demolished. For longtime residents in the neighborhood, new development also brings fears of displacement. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/06...

Frustration over Atlanta’s project backlog dominates council races An audit released earlier this year found that only about $47 million of the $660 million Moving Atlanta Forward bond package approved by voters in 2022 had been spent.

NEW: Atlanta's political hopefuls gathered for the first forum of the upcoming 2025 city elections. Frustrations over long-awaited district infrastructure projects dominated the discussion. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/06...

Georgia State Capitol skybridge gets OK from Atlanta City Council Atlanta City Council OK's state Capitol skybridge, backing down from earlier opposition.

After initially pushing back against the state's plans, Atlanta City Council ultimately signed over the air rights for a skybridge at the Capitol. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/06...

Atlanta labor unions call for release of California union leader David Huerta Atlanta union members say service industry workers are under attack as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration.

FULL STORY: David Huerta’s arrest in LA highlighted the immigrant population that makes up a large portion of the country’s service industry. A federal magistrate judge just ordered the union leader be released on a $50,000 bond. #atlpol #ICEProtest www.ajc.com/news/2025/06...

Georgia Power defends second substation in Vine City area Residents rallied against the project after materials by Georgia Power said the substation would help support energy needs for Centennial Yards.

UPDATE: Yesterday, residents rallied on the corner of the proposed location hours before Georgia Power hosted community information sessions on the project. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/06...

A Georgia Power substation on Atlanta's Westside? Residents say no Residents say the plan to place a substation in historic Vine City is case of environmental injustice.

New: Westside residents are pushing back against Georgia Power’s plans to add a second substation to the historically Black community of Vine City. The facility would sit one lane away from a single-family home neighborhood. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/06...

Court orders release of police training center records Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane C. Barwick ordered all documents related to the training center be handed over within 30 days.

New: A Fulton County judge ordered that the Atlanta Police Foundation must release records related to the public safety training center under the Open Records Act. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/06...