Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia: What the Office Does and How It Affects You

The Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia is the city’s top elected official and plays a central role in how the city runs day to day—from public safety and transportation to housing, parks, and major development projects. Whether you live in Atlanta, are moving here, or are just trying to understand how the city is governed, it helps to know what the mayor actually does and how you can interact with the office.

Who Is the Mayor of Atlanta?

The Mayor of Atlanta is the head of the City of Atlanta’s executive branch. The mayor is elected citywide and is responsible for leading Atlanta’s municipal government, carrying out city laws, and managing major city departments and services that residents rely on.

The mayor’s priorities often shape:

• How the city addresses crime and public safety
• The pace and style of new development and growth
• Policies around affordable housing and homelessness
• Investments in transit, roads, and sidewalks
• Support for small businesses and economic development
• Environmental and sustainability initiatives

Although specific priorities change from one administration to another, the mayor remains the main public face of Atlanta’s local government.

What the Mayor of Atlanta Does Day to Day

The mayor’s work is broad, but most responsibilities fall into a few key areas.

1. Managing City Departments and Services

The mayor oversees (directly or through appointed leaders) many of Atlanta’s core departments, including:

• Atlanta Police Department (APD)
• Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD)
• Department of Watershed Management
• Department of Public Works
• Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT)
• Department of Parks and Recreation
• Planning and Community Development
• Aviation (including Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport)

The mayor typically:

• Appoints department commissioners and key executives
• Sets performance expectations and priorities
• Approves major operational changes, budgets, and initiatives

For residents, this affects the quality and reliability of trash pickup, park maintenance, road repairs, water service, emergency response, and more.

2. Proposing and Managing the City Budget

Each year, the mayor prepares a proposed city budget, which outlines how Atlanta’s money will be spent. This budget covers:

• Police, fire, and emergency services
• Road maintenance and transportation projects
• Park improvements and recreation programs
• Arts, cultural initiatives, and youth programs
• Administrative operations and city staffing

The Atlanta City Council reviews, amends, and ultimately adopts the budget, but the mayor’s proposal sets the baseline. Budget decisions can directly impact:

• Property tax levels
• Funding for neighborhood improvements
• Availability of city programs and services

3. Working With City Council and Other Governments

Atlanta has a mayor–council form of government. This means:

• The mayor runs the executive branch.
• The City Council serves as the legislative body, passing city ordinances and approving budgets.

The mayor:

• Proposes policy ideas and ordinances
• Works with councilmembers on legislation
• Can approve or veto ordinances passed by the council (with possible council overrides)

In addition, the mayor regularly coordinates with:

• The Governor of Georgia and state agencies on transportation, economic development, and public safety
• Fulton County and DeKalb County governments on shared services and regional issues
• The federal government on grants, infrastructure, and airport-related matters

4. Setting Policy Priorities

The mayor’s policy agenda can significantly shape Atlanta’s future. Typical focus areas include:

• Public safety: policing strategies, violence prevention, community programs
• Housing: zoning changes, incentives for affordable units, homelessness services
• Transportation: street safety, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, transit coordination
• Economic development: attracting new employers, supporting local businesses, workforce training
• Equity and inclusion: addressing disparities between neighborhoods, investing in historically underserved areas

For Atlanta residents, this can show up in very practical ways—such as new bike lanes, funding for small business grants, changes to zoning codes, or neighborhood public safety initiatives.

5. Representing Atlanta Locally and Nationally

The mayor is often the public face of Atlanta:

• Speaking at events, conferences, and regional forums
• Promoting Atlanta as a destination for tourism, business, and major events
• Coordinating city responses to emergencies, protests, or natural disasters

This role matters when Atlanta competes for major conventions, national events, sports championships, or company headquarters.

How the Mayor Is Elected in Atlanta

Election Basics

• The mayor is chosen in a citywide, nonpartisan election.
• Local elections, including the mayoral race, typically occur in odd-numbered years.
• If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates proceed to a runoff election.

Term Length and Limits

• The mayor serves a four-year term.
• The office is generally limited to two consecutive terms.

For Atlanta residents, this means mayoral elections are a regular opportunity to shape city leadership and policy direction.

How the Mayor’s Office Is Structured

While structures can change over time, the Office of the Mayor typically includes:

• Chief of Staff: Manages daily operations and staff, coordinates across departments.
• Deputy Chiefs and Senior Advisors: Oversee specific areas like public safety, operations, infrastructure, or community engagement.
• Office of Communications: Handles press, announcements, and public information.
• Policy and Legislative Affairs: Develops policy ideas and works with City Council.
• Constituent Services / Community Engagement: Helps residents navigate city services and respond to complaints or concerns.

If you reach out to the Mayor’s Office with an issue (for example, about trash pickup, code enforcement, or a neighborhood concern), you’ll often interact with staff in these units, not the mayor personally—though the overall approach and responsiveness are influenced by the administration’s priorities.

Where the Mayor’s Office Is Located in Atlanta

The mayor’s main office is located in Atlanta City Hall in downtown:

Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Avenue SW
Atlanta, GA 30303

Common contact channels for general City of Atlanta inquiries include:

• Main City Hall phone (City information): 404-330-6000

For specific issues, residents are often encouraged to use the city’s 311 system:

• Atlanta 311 (for city services and requests): Call 3-1-1 from within city limits or 404-546-0311 from outside

Staff in City Hall can route requests to the mayor’s staff or appropriate department.

How the Mayor’s Office Affects Everyday Life in Atlanta

The mayor’s decisions often show up in visible, neighborhood-level ways. Examples include:

• 🚓 Public Safety: Changes in patrol strategies, support for neighborhood watch or violence prevention programs, or investments in technology like cameras and license plate readers.
• 🏠 Housing: Encouraging new mixed-income developments, supporting affordable housing projects along the BeltLine, or partnering on homelessness outreach and shelter beds.
• 🚸 Streets and Transportation: Road resurfacing, new crosswalks, traffic calming, bike lanes, and coordination with MARTA on major transit corridors.
• 🌳 Parks and Recreation: Upgrades to parks, recreation centers, trails, and playgrounds; new programming for youth and seniors.
• 💼 Jobs and Business: Programs to help entrepreneurs, small business support in corridors like Auburn Avenue, Cascade, or Westside communities, and business attraction that can bring jobs to different parts of the city.

Different mayors highlight different priorities, but quality of life in Atlanta neighborhoods is often a central theme.

How to Contact or Engage With the Mayor of Atlanta

If you live in or frequently visit Atlanta, there are several practical ways to engage with the mayor’s office or make your voice heard.

1. Submit a Service Request (311)

For most city service issues, start with Atlanta 311, not the mayor directly. Examples:

• Missed garbage or recycling pickup
• Potholes, broken streetlights, or sidewalk damage
• Overgrown lots or code enforcement complaints
• Graffiti or illegal dumping

You can:

• Call 3-1-1 within Atlanta, or 404-546-0311 from outside
• Use the city’s 311 web portal or mobile app (if available)

311 helps route the issue to the right department and creates a trackable request, which city leadership can review when looking at patterns and performance.

2. Contact the Mayor’s Office for General Inquiries

For questions about policy, events, or official mayoral matters, you can contact City Hall. Common channels include:

• Calling the City Hall main line and asking to be connected to the Mayor’s Office or constituent services
• Using any official contact forms or emails published by the City of Atlanta for the Mayor’s Office

When reaching out:

• Be specific about your issue, neighborhood, and what you’re asking for.
• Provide your contact information for follow-up.

3. Attend Public Meetings and Events

While the mayor does not run City Council meetings, the administration frequently participates and proposes items that come before the council. You can:

• Attend Atlanta City Council meetings at City Hall
• Watch or listen to meetings through city channels when available
• Participate in public hearings or community meetings on topics like zoning changes, transportation projects, or major developments

The mayor and staff also often appear at town halls, community listening sessions, ribbon cuttings, and neighborhood events, especially for issues like public safety, infrastructure, and housing.

4. Share Your Opinion During Elections

During mayoral campaigns, candidates typically:

• Host forums, debates, and meet-and-greets
• Release policy platforms on issues like crime, housing, and transportation
• Gather feedback from different neighborhoods and communities

As an Atlanta voter or resident, you can:

• Ask direct questions at campaign events
• Compare candidates’ positions on issues that matter to your neighborhood
• Vote in the general election and, if needed, any runoff

How the Mayor Works With Other Atlanta Institutions

The mayor does not operate alone. Several other entities shape how decisions are made in Atlanta:

City Council

The Atlanta City Council:

• Passes laws (ordinances) and resolutions
• Approves the city budget proposed by the mayor
• Oversees and questions city departments through committees

The mayor and council must collaborate to move major initiatives forward.

City Departments and Authorities

Some important related entities include:

• Atlanta Housing (housing authority functions)
• Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (manages BeltLine planning and development)
• Invest Atlanta (economic development authority)
• Atlanta Board of Education / Atlanta Public Schools (APS) (separate elected body, but often collaborates with the mayor)

The mayor typically appoints or works closely with leadership on these boards and authorities, especially around development, housing, and job creation.

Counties and the State

The City of Atlanta overlaps Fulton County and parts of DeKalb County. The mayor often coordinates with:

• County commissions on services like courts, jails, and health initiatives
• State of Georgia on transportation, criminal justice, and large economic projects

This coordination affects how quickly regional projects move and how smoothly programs operate.

Practical Tips for Atlanta Residents and Visitors

Here are some simple ways to navigate city issues that intersect with the mayor’s office:

For residents:

• Use 311 first for operational problems (trash, roads, utilities) so there’s a record.
• For broader concerns (policy priorities, neighborhood investment), consider reaching out to both your City Council representative and the Mayor’s Office.
• Keep track of mayoral announcements about your area, such as new infrastructure projects or public safety plans.

For business owners:

• Pay attention to mayoral initiatives on small business support or corridors (for example, along Peachtree, Cascade, Memorial Drive, Westside, or South Atlanta areas).
• Connect with Invest Atlanta and relevant city departments for programs that may be backed by the mayor’s agenda.

For visitors:

• While you’re less likely to interact directly with the mayor’s office, decisions about events, public safety, transit, and the airport all reflect current leadership.
• If you encounter a safety or infrastructure issue, you can still use 311 or coordinate with your host, hotel, or event organizer to make a report.

Quick Reference: Mayor of Atlanta and City Hall

Understanding the Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia helps you see how local decisions are made, who is responsible for city services, and how you can participate in shaping the future of the city you live in, work in, or visit.