Qualifying for Atlanta City Council seat begins

Next time, the council member will have the opportunity to add their voice to the debate on key Atlanta issues such as transportation expansion, affordable housing and public safety, including any issues that may arise regarding the city’s controversial public safety training center.

This week, Tuesday through late Thursday, interested applicants should come to Trinity Ave to submit documents and fees to the Clerk’s Office to begin the process. Top sources inside City Hall expect about five people to launch bids for the seat.

City Clerk Corrine A. Lindo — who was appointed to the position in January — said applicants will sign affidavits confirming qualification requirements and submit a fee of $2,170.

“Our role here in the clerk’s office is to qualify candidates,” she said. “To make sure that whatever district they’re running in, they’re residents and they’re active in voter registration in Fulton County.”

For an at-large seat, candidates can live anywhere within the city limits. The three citywide council positions allow whoever fills them the unique ability to focus on issues that affect every corner of Atlanta.

Credit: Riley Bunch/[email protected]

Credit: Riley Bunch/[email protected]

Councilmember Michael Julian Bond, one of the current council members, said these seats offer a way to expand the legislation so that it makes sense for all neighborhoods and districts across the city.

“Seats across the city provide a balanced perspective on issues; when you represent a district, the focus is hyperlocal,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Having a citywide representative allows for a sort of counterbalance to what might be seen as selective interest in a particular neighborhood or area.”

City council members say they have greater latitude to consider long-term initiatives and issues such as managing population growth, meeting affordable housing goals and addressing concerns increasing climate.

“Atlanta is very proud of its 240-plus neighborhoods and we talk a lot about how there isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all approach to the city,” said Council Member-at-Large Matt Westmoreland.

As for who might be best suited for the job, Westmoreland said candidates should be familiar with all the different districts and the needs of their constituents.

“It helps to have had life experiences that have taken you all over Atlanta in a way that allows you to kind of understand the diversity of the city — racially but also geographically and politically,” he said. declared.

Credit: [email protected]

Credit: [email protected]

Four years ago, some 254,000 Atlanta voters turned out for the general election to weigh in on the presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. This figure is significantly higher than the usual turnout rate in local elections.

The heightened stakes on Nov. 5 will shine an unusual spotlight on the open City Council seat. Bond said the high turnout would likely benefit all candidates, including those who are already politically known to newcomers.

“It’s good if you run a strong campaign or you have a lot of supporters to try to get them to the polls,” he said. “And that’s just as good for someone who maybe doesn’t have as broad a base, because he could ride the wave of presidential turnout.”

Incumbent council members expect qualified candidates for the open seat to represent different parts of Atlanta, emphasizing the importance of the get-out-the-vote campaign message.

But if neither candidate wins and the race heads to a runoff, the candidates will also face the challenge of getting those voters back to the polls four weeks later.

“It seems to me that there is a high probability of runoff,” Westmoreland said. “So what you’re going to have is a general election where over 250,000 people will vote – which is several times more than the traditional vote in a municipal election. And in the second round, turnout is likely to be incredibly low, because it may be the only item on the ballot.”