Category Archives: Councilwoman Carla Smith

Atlanta Councilman Receives Threat after Stone Mountain Resolution Passes

michael bond stone mountain

(APN) ATLANTA — On July 20, 2015, the City Council of Atlanta approved and adopted 15-R-3870, a resolution by Councilman Michael Julian Bond (Post 1 At-Large), calling for Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to approve and implement a study group to determine what additions, if any, could be added Georgia’s well-known icon, Stone Mountain.   The carving there depicts three figures […]

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APN Releases Atlanta Council Scorecard for 2014 Year-End

council scorecard end 2014

(APN) ATLANTA — With the exception of Cleta Winslow (District 4), Howard Shook (District 7), and Yolanda Adrean (District 8), Atlanta’s City Councilmembers saw improvements in their progressivity score during the third and fourth quarters of 2014.   Atlanta Progressive News has updated its Atlanta City Council Scorecard, adding two votes: specifically, the vote on whether to approve a resolution […]

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Opacity, Public Exclusion Seen in Mayor’s Statements on Turner Field Redevelopment

With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale (APN) ATLANTA — The pending sale of the land underlying Atlanta’s Turner Field, just south of Downtown Atlanta, has been a point of contention for most of the year. Mayor Kasim Reed made controversial statements to WSBTV Channel 2 on or around November 11, 2014, that Turner Field could be sold “very soon,” […]

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Atlanta Council Passes APD Cameras, Refers Constitutional Amendment to Committee

(APN) ATLANTA — At the Full Council Meeting of the City Council of Atlanta on Tuesday, September 02, 2014, the Council passed a resolution that had been introduced by Councilwoman Felicia Moore (District 9), calling for the Atlanta Police Department (APD) to conduct a feasibility study within 90 days for implementing body cameras for all APD officers.  The Council also […]

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Councilwoman Moore Seeks Study on APD Body Cameras

(APN) ATLANTA — The shooting of an unarmed teen by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri has spurred the City Council of Atlanta to take action.     On Monday, August 18, 2014, the Council unanimously passed legislation by Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong (District 5) to implore U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder require local police to install surveillance cameras in […]

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Atlanta Passes Urban Agriculture Zoning Ordinance

(APN) ATLANTA — With this month’s passage of ordinance 14-O-1092, Atlanta’s going to start looking a whole lot greener: the new urban agriculture ruling amends current zoning codes, allowing for the growth of market and urban gardens in the city.   The ordinance passed in a unanimous vote by the Atlanta City Council on June 02, in a vote of […]

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APN Full Endorsements: Atlanta Council 2013

(APN) ATLANTA — The Atlanta Progressive News Board of Directors has completed its full endorsement list for Atlanta City Council and Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education for 2013.     To date, we have already announced several endorsements, along with full explanations.  This list includes all endorsements for City Council, including ones already announced and ones that are being […]

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Welsh, Smith (District 1) Compared on Atlanta Council Issues

(APN) ATLANTA — There are some significant differences between the voting record of Atlanta City Councilwoman Carla Smith (District 1), and how challenger Robert Welsh would have voted on the issues.     BAR HOURS     Smith supported changing bar closing hours to make bars close earlier, at 3am, in 2003.  In 2011, Smith opposed changing them to 4am. […]

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Welsh Questions Smith’s Timing on Glenwood Rezoning Legislation

(APN) ATLANTA — Robert Welsh, a candidate for City Council of Atlanta District 1, criticized incumbent Carla Smith in an interview with Atlanta Progressive News, over the timing of Smith’s introduction of two pieces of legislation changing the zoning and land use designations for 800 and 860 Glenwood Avenue SE.     There, developer Jeff Fuqua has proposed a redevelopment […]

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APN Issues Updated City Council Scorecard for Winter 2013

(APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta Progressive News has updated its Atlanta City Council Scorecard for 2013, adding recent as well as past votes, including: – Two votes taken last week, in March 2013, on whether to set a limit to restrict public comment time at all Atlanta City Council Committees.  Only Keisha Lance Bottoms (District 11), Joyce Sheperd (District 12), Howard […]

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Citizens Defeat Public Comment Limits at Atlanta Council Committees

(APN) ATLANTA — Citizen activists defeated a proposal to limit public comment time at all Committee Meetings of the Atlanta City Council yesterday, after the Committee on Council voted six to one to file the ordinance, and the Full Council voted twice against approving it. Activists including Ben Howard, Brother Anthony Muhammad, and Ron Shakir, along with APN’s News Editor–the […]

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SEC Complaint Filed over City of Atlanta Pension Investment

(APN) ATLANTA — Angela Green, a former City of Atlanta employee and member of the Board of Trustees of the City of Atlanta General Employees’ Pension Plan, has filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Atlanta Progressive News has learned. The complaint, filed on January 18, 2013, alleges that the investment consultant for the Pension Fund, Larry […]

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Smith, Archibong Draw Challengers in 2013 Atlanta Council Race

(APN) ATLANTA — Two more candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for seats on the Atlanta City Council: Robert Welsh has announced his plans to challenge Councilwoman Carla Smith (District 1), and Matt Rinker has announced his plans to challenge Natalyn Archibong (District 5), in the November 2013 election. Smith is a moderate Councilmember, with a current score […]

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Some Atlanta Councilmembers Seek Vote to Silence the Public, Again

(APN) ATLANTA — Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd (District 12) and six other Councilmembers have set their sights on new public comment rules that would further limit the time allotted to citizens to speak at Council Committees, and would set other restrictions. Currently, each Committee Chair sets their own rules for public comment at each of the seven Committees of the Atlanta […]

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Victory! Atlanta’s Council Briefings Opened to Public, Moved to Committee Room

(APN) ATLANTA — In another major citizens’ victory for transparency, public participation, accountability, and democracy at the City Council of Atlanta, all seven Council Committees have opened their Committee Briefings to the public for 2013, and have moved the Committee Briefings to Committee Room 1, which is accessible to the public.   The seven Council Committees–City Utilities, Committee on Council, […]

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