The purpose of this report is to examine the government structure of Atlanta, Georgia city council. The paper identifies the structure of the government and its departments. Also, it distinguishes the head of the council and other members and how officials obtain their positions. Then, the current number of councilors is identified. Finally, the issues that are connected to political problems with which the government is concerned and the challenges of the twenty-first century are recognized.
The report discusses the local government of Atlanta, Georgia based on the Annual performance report (Atlanta City Council, 2018). All in all, the structure of the institution is clear and easy to understand. The council has a total of sixteen members that work in it. All the positions are elected through citywide or district-wide elections. “The council’s mission is to ensure that Atlanta is led by a ground-breaking, strong, and capable” individuals, and to guarantee that the institution functions for the benefit of the citizens (Atlanta City Council, 2018). For a governmental institution to work correctly, it has to have a cohesive structure and respond to the challenges brought by the twenty-first century and political issues.
Atlanta, Georgia is among the most populous cities in the US. The Atlanta City Council is responsible for policy-making decisions that affect the city. Also, leadership importance is acknowledged as a factor that contributes to maintaining a thriving institution that benefits Atlanta. According to the statement of the Council, the main objective for their work is to “develop policies that serve as operational standards and establish the parameters for the administration of city government” (“How your council works,” n.d., para. 1). The structure of the government is easy to comprehend. The council consists of the president and twelve councilors, plus three at-large members. The first is elected by the “city-at-large” system; the latter are elected from individual districts (twelve are chosen by single areas). Three positions are elected citywide and are part of the City Council (Post 1 – 4 At Large). Also, there are standing committees that are concerned with reviewing legislation and providing recommendations regarding laws.
The type of government structure in Atlanta resembles the federal model. There are executive, legislative, and juridical branches (Georgia government, n.d.). Within the CityCouncil, there are several departments or committees responsible for different aspects of the policymaking process. Those are utilities, zoning, community development or human services, public safety and legal administration, finance, the committee on the council, and transportation committees (Atlanta City Council, 2018). On the political side, the head of the council is called the President. Currently, Ceasar C. Mitchell occupies the position (Atlanta City Council, 2018). The organizational structure is displayed in Chart 1.
The current political issue on the agenda is the election year and its implications. As Kauffman and Yu state (2018), the State is about to select the 58 representatives that the Senate will be composed of. The event is significant, therefore it will affect every governmental institution in the city. Also, the governor and the lieutenant governor will not run for their positions, making those vacant for other prospective candidates. The primary stakeholders are the politicians that decide to participate in the elections, which can bring along a lot of debates. However, current officials in the Atlanta City Council need to perform their duties well, regardless of whether they will be participating in the election or not as well as to respond to challenges adequately.
The twenty-first-century factors that influence the leaders in the local government structure are varied. As Wadell (2016) states, those are budget issues, limited resources, communication, and culture, among several others. The budget issue is clear since any local government possesses a certain amount of finances it can utilize. Also, in the twenty-first century, the world has been through a severe economic crisis, meaning that these governments have to be careful with how they manage their resources. The communication issue arises with the extensive use of social media. The decisions that the officials make are discussed on various platforms, and the councilors have to manage their online presence. While social media allows accessing public opinion more efficiently, it can also be filled with misleading information. Culture as a challenge is presented in the diverse organizational structure that is common for establishments. Managing such varied communities can be difficult because of the different backgrounds that people have. The presented challenges are what the City Council of Atlanta have to deal with to ensure the efficiency of the institution’s work.
Overall, the issues that the government of Atlanta’s faces is both political and connected to the twenty-first-century developments. Firstly, the Senate elections are disrupting the political environment of the city. Enabling stability is the critical responsibility of the council at this stage. Additionally, some challenges are brought by the twenty-first century such as limited budget and resources, online communication, and cultural differences. The report identifies these issues and stakeholders as well as outlines viable solutions. The information can be used to improve the efficiency of the City Council.
References
Atlanta City Council. (2018). 2017 annual performance report. Web.
Georgia government (n.d.) Web.
How your council works. (n.d.) Web.
Kauffman, J., & Yu, E. (2018). Issues to watch in Georgia’s 2018 legislative session. Wabe. Web.
Wedell, A. (2016). Ten biggest challenges of local government budgeting.NRC. Web.