Inauguration Day: Atlanta mayor, council to be sworn in to office

It’s a stark difference from the inauguration events four years ago when the country was still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. After his underdog mayoral win in 2021, Dickens was sworn in at his alma mater, Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium, while attendees donned masks.

Three days of inauguration events started Saturday with the “ATL Cares” citywide day of volunteer service, followed by the one-hour “The Spirit of Atlanta” interfaith service on Sunday.

In November, Atlanta voters overwhelming backed the Adamsville native for a second term, securing him the maximum eight-year stint in office.

“This second term will be an opportunity to double down on the work that we started,” Dickens said on stage at the Hyatt Regency after his victory on election night. “Because we’re on a mission to make Atlanta the best city in the nation to raise a child — that’s our North Star, that’s our goal.”

Dickens has few critics inside City Hall and boasts a strong alliance with Atlanta City Council, which rarely pushes back publicly against the administration’s agenda.

City Council members will also be sworn in Monday.

The return of the mayor’s allies — all council incumbents won reelection, including Marci Collier Overstreet, who emerged from a bitter campaign to become City Council president — and two new administration-aligned district representatives solidifies Dicken’s strong alliance with the city’s legislative branch.

Overstreet will also announce key committee assignments on Monday, during an organization meeting of City Council members at City Hall. Committee chairs have the power to bring forward legislation for a vote.

Going into a second term, the mayor hopes to leverage his council relationships to pass an ambitious extension of all of Atlanta’s tax allocation districts — a controversial proposal that he says is needed to fight racial disparities across neighborhoods.

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Three new faces will be on the council, representing district seats where the incumbents did not run for reelection.

Kelsea Bond, a 32-year-old Midtown resident, became the first Democratic Socialist elected to the body after a landslide victory in District 2. Bond has the potential to emerge as Dickens loudest critic.

Former MARTA Board of Directors member and Piedmont Healthcare executive Thomas Worthy secured the Buckhead-representing District 7 seat in a December runoff after longtime council member Howard Shook decided to retired.

Atlanta-native Wayne Martin, who has previously served in leadership positions for both the Atlanta Housing Authority and Atlanta Public Schools, also won in a runoff after a crowded race to fill the coveted southwest Atlanta District 11 seat vacated by Overstreet.

The new council cohort will not only decide whether or not to back Dickens’ tax extension but also make key decisions on how to navigate the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup this summer.