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Committee Assignments Hint at More Independent Atlanta City Council

January 8th, 2014

The Atlanta City Council is starting a new four-year term and Council President Ceaser Mitchell this week went about perhaps his most important function– assigning chairs of the seven committees tasked with vetting city legislation.

Notably, Mitchell named two newly elected council members: Mary Norwood, the former mayoral candidate, will lead the Committee on Council, and Andre Dickens will run the Community Development and Human Resources Committee.

Both Norwood and Dickens beat incumbents backed by Mayor Kasim Reed. And Norwood almost beat Reed himself in the 2009 race for mayor.

William Boone, a political science professor at Clark-Atlanta University, believes Mitchell’s picks send a message to the mayor’s office.

“It’s an indication that maybe the Council wants to stake out – through Ceaser Mitchell’s office, at least – an independence that it didn’t evidence in the last term,” said Boone.

Mitchell chose Alex Wan, who represents portions of Midtown and east Atlanta, to the key post of finance committee chair. Felicia Moore, perhaps Reed’s staunchest critic on Council, will chair the transportation committee.

Reed said this week he expects to work well with the new Council. He called his relationship with Norwood and Dickens “cordial,” and said he anticipates a “policy-focused” second term.

Full List of Committee Assignments:

Finance:

Alex Wan, chair

Yolanda Adrean

Natalyn Mosby Archibong

C.T. Martin

Felicia Moore

Howard Shook

Carla Smith

Public Safety:

C.T. Martin, chair

Yolanda Adrean