Southwest Atlanta’s Tatum Lakes to become city’s newest nature preserve The 50-acre Tatum Lakes property will be transformed into a protected green space with trail access.

New: It's been a best kept secret in southwest Atlanta for generations. Now, it's on track to be the city's newest nature preserve. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/03...

"It is unclear how ICE’s presence will improve the passenger experience, one thing is certain: ensuring our hardworking TSA agents are paid will decrease the need for additional federal support." #atlpol #gapol

NEW: In a letter to City Council members Monday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens calls the presence of federal immigration agents at Hartsfield-Jackson "unprecedented in the 100-year history of the airport." #atlpol #gapol

Whistleblowers’ plea rocked Atlanta City Hall, then fizzled A year after Atlanta IG staff whistleblower letter, inspector general found evidence of criminal wrongdoing in one case, but many were closed with no serious findings.

New: The so-called whistleblower letter sent a chill through Atanta City Hall a year ago after a feud between the city's top watchdog and Mayor Andre Dickens. Here's where those cases - deemed potentially criminal - stand today. w/ @thadmoore #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/03...

Fire union sues Atlanta over unsigned collective bargaining agreement The department had operated under a new contract for six months, until it was told in October the agreement was not in effect because the mayor never signed it.

ICYMI: The fire union is suing Atlanta over its collective bargaining agreement established nearly a year ago. In October, the department notified the union Mayor Dickens hadn't signed the agreement, essentially rending it moot. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/03...

Affordable high-rise near City Hall to provide housing for Atlanta employees Officials celebrate the groundbreaking Monday for Trinity Central Flats, a $130 million mixed-use high-rise.

INSIDE CITY HALL: A new high-rise on Trinity Ave will house Atlanta employees as a low-cost | Council set to debate proposed ban on public resources going toward ICE operations | Atlanta's top watchdog probing the former clerk's $910 contract. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/03...

Atlanta’s first open container neighborhood: Historic South Downtown South Downtown will be the first neighborhood in the city where residents and visitors can traverse public sidewalks and streets with an alcoholic drink in hand.

New: Historic South Downtown is officially the city's firstnopen drinking neighborhood. Will others follow? #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/03...

Propel ATL Transforming Atlanta’s streets into safe, inclusive, and thriving spaces for people to ride, walk, and roll.

Here's how you can help: www.letspropelatl.org/donate

Stolen bikes derail program that teaches Atlanta youth to ride Dozens of bicycles and helmets, valued at about $10,000, vanished from C.A. Scott Recreation Center in Mozley Park, where after-school cycling classes were already underway.

New: An Atlanta program that teaches kids to ride bikes was upended this week after $10K worth of equiptment vanished from a storage trailer. Thieves made off with 26 bikes and 24 helmets used by children at local recreation centers. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/03...

Who should investigate Atlanta’s questionable contract with former clerk? Lawmakers couldn’t agree Monday if the investigation should be conducted by outside counsel, or internally by the city’s inspector general or auditor.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and City Council are tossing blame back and forth over who is responsible for a $910K contract with the former city clerk. So who should investigate it? Your Inside City Hall this week! #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/03...

Dickens points finger at Atlanta City Council for questionable clerk contract Atlanta City Council members are pushing back against the blame game over $910,000 in payments to a referendum consultant.

More news in the recent Atlanta City Hall saga: Mayor Dickens sent a letter to council members Tuesday saying the $910,000 spent on a former clerk for help with the referendum that never happened wasn't his fault...it was actually theirs. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/02...

Everyone agrees about need for diversion center. Why hasn’t it worked? The issue was batted back-and-forth Monday during a meeting of the city's public safety committee.

New: Fulton County and Atlanta's new pre-arrest diversion center was built to serve 40 people a day. Since it opened in 2024, it's averaged only three. But who's to blame? #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/02...

Statehouse bill would hamper Mayor Dickens’ tax district extensions The so-called TAD extensions are a key component of the second-term mayor’s lofty $5 billion plan to revitalize underserved neighborhoods.

New: State lawmakers usually target the city of Atlanta in some way when they return to the Gold Dome for legislative session. This year, a bill is taking aim at Mayor Dickens' lofty proposal to extend the city's tax allocation districts. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/02...

Atlanta Council wants answers from mayor’s office on clerk contract Atlanta City Council members are calling for increased transparency from Mayor Andre Dickens’ administration regarding a consulting contract with the city’s former clerk.

New: Atlanta City Council members are pressing the Dickens administration to address the questionable contract that paid a former city clerk $910K. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/02...

Atlantic Station residents want more say in the neighborhood’s future Atlantic Station residents say store closures, including Publix, highlight how little influence they have in decisions at the privately owned development.

New: Atlantic Station residents are fighting for more say in what happens at the complex after a series of major store closures. But developer control of the property means both tenants and local government officials have little to no power. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/02...

Atlanta ends referendum consulting deal with former clerk after $910K paid City attorney recommends new safeguards for consultant contracts after reporting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

After AJC reporting, council members were notified that the city attorney had terminated the contract and is proposing new guardrails for consulting work. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/02...

Atlanta has spent over $2.8M on training center litigation, consultant fees The city has paid former city clerk Foris Webb III $910,000 as a consultant to help with a signature verification process that never even began.

Your Inside City Hall this week: The city has paid over $2.8M toward litigation over the public safety training center. Including 910K to a consultant on the referendum verification process that's never happened. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/02...

Mayor Andre Dickens: ICE not invited to Atlanta for World Cup The mayor makes comments about Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an event announcing programs to help small businesses capitalize on the World Cup.

"We hope that their presence will be small, unnoticeable, negligible, invisible — and maybe nonexistent," the mayor said of the potential that federal immigration agents will target Atlanta during the FIFA World Cup. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/02...

Gov. Kemp proposes $50 million to help cities combat homelessness State lawmakers once looked to punish cities for homelessness. Now, the Georgia governor wants to pour millions of dollars into addressing the problem.

State lawmakers once looked to punish cities for homelessness. Now, Kemp is asking Legislature to be part of the solution. #gapol #atlpol w/ @bluestein.bsky.social www.ajc.com/news/2026/02...

Council members urge transparency around More MARTA project decisions Council members questioned why a vote to stop work on the Eastside Beltline light rail project didn’t go to the MARTA board for approval.

"The appearance is that there was a closed-door meeting between agencies — separate from the public — that made a decision for an entire city." | Council members call for transparency after Eastside Beltline light rail project halt. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/01...

How Atlanta plans to curb violence on Edgewood Avenue A weekly roundup of the most important things you need to know from Atlanta City Hall.

Good morning, Atlanta! Here's Inside City Hall for some cold weather reading: City and community leaders craft a plan to tackle violence on Edgewood Ave. And Council members look to reup Atlanta's popular e-bike rebate program. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/01...

Metro Atlanta counties, and grocery stores, prepare for expected storm North Georgia could get a winter storm blast this weekend, and preparations are underway by local governments and grocery stores.

STORM WATCH: Atlanta is planning to use 21 salt spreaders carrying 2,500 tons of salt, and 22 brine trucks loaded with 15,500 gallons, to help fight the brewing storm. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/01...

Atlanta to pay cyclist nearly $1M settlement for pothole crash Dangerous conditions on Clifton Terrace were reported to city officials numerous times over nearly a decade, according to injured cyclist Francisco Averhoff's lawsuit.

Pothole Problems: The cyclist was far from the first person to be injured by a pothole on that street, according to the lawsuit which included at least seven complaints to the city spanning nearly a decade. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/01...

Oversight commission begins review of Mayor Dickens’ neighborhood plan An oversight commission tasked with reviewing the neighborhood improvement plans met for the first time last week.

Your Inside City Hall this week: A City Council-approved commission begins hashing out Mayor Dickens $5B neighborhood plan. And the world's busiest airport is getting a soccer field? #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/01...

Atlanta leaders want transit expansion. Will suburban voters ever agree? Mayor Andre Dickens says regional transit expansion is a second-term priority.

New: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said he hopes to convince suburban voters to epand MARTA during his second term. But that would mean overcoming decades of voter opposition. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/01...

Inauguration Day: Atlanta mayor, council to be sworn in to office Atlanta's mayor and city council members will be sworn in on Monday. The ceremony starts at 1 p.m., at the Georgia State University Convocation Center.

It's inauguration day here in Atlanta where all our elected officials will be sworn in to their next four-year term. Mayor Dickens has reason to celebrate as a majority of returning and new City Council members are administration allies. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2026/01...

Whatever happened to Atlanta’s new MARTA stations? Funding questions linger. Atlanta announced the intention of building four new MARTA hubs, but a recent project estimate shows all four come with a price tag of more than $1.3 billion combined.

Your Inside City Hall this week: Two years ago in March, Mayor Dickens announced the city's intent to build four new MARTA stations. We asked the the transit agency's interim leadership for a status update. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/12...

Dickens asks top donors for $250K to help fund inauguration events Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is soliciting up to $250,000 from top donors to sponsor three days of events celebrating his second-term inauguration.

New: New: Dickens asks top donors for $250K to sponsor his inauguration activities that will span across three days in January, culminating with a ball. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/12...

Report: Traffic fatalities outpace homicides in metro Atlanta Analysis draws comparison between the two, pointing out that roadway deaths should be more preventable than violence, with proven safety upgrades that can prevent them.

A new report from @letspropelatl found traffic fatalities exceed homicides in metro Atlanta. Why does that matter? Because, advocates say, car crashes should be preventable. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/12...

Atlanta City Council ends year without tax extension vote Extending the city’s TADs has become the hallmark policy initiative of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens' second term, which begins in January.

Happy Tuesday, Atlanta! Your Inside City Hall this week: Council punts controversial tax extension vote to next year. And the longest-serving council member bids City Hall farewell. #atlpol www.ajc.com/news/2025/12...