Category Archives: Councilwoman Carla Smith

Atlanta Councilwoman Carla Smith to Seek Reelection

(APN) ATLANTA — Despite earlier information that suggested otherwise, Atlanta City Councilwoman Carla Smith (District 1) is planning to run for reelection in this year’s Municipal Elections, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. “I really love my community.  I really have the best district in the city,” Smith told APN.  District 1 includes numerous neighborhoods in Southeast Atlanta, and as part […]

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Fulton Judge Rules against Atlanta in Street Vendor Dispute

(APN) ATLANTA — Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shawn Ellen LaGrua has ruled in favor of street vendors in Atlanta who were negatively impacted by the City of Atlanta when the City entered into a contract with a private firm, U.K. – LaSalle, LLC, to manage the City’s street vendors. The case was Larry Miller and Stanley Hambrick v. City […]

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APN Issues Atlanta Council Scorecard for End of 2012

(APN) ATLANTA — With Municipal Elections in the City of Atlanta scheduled to take place next year, Atlanta Progressive News has added six more recent votes to the APN Atlanta City Council Scorecard. To APN’s knowledge, the Scorecard is the most comprehensive, data-driven, and transparent source of information available about the current incumbents on the City Council of Atlanta. The […]

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Mayor’s Panhandling Proposal Allows 180 Days in Jail, Even on First Offense (UPDATE 1)

(APN) ATLANTA — Mayor Kasim Reed said that he was vetoing legislation that passed City Council concerning aggressive panhandling because it was cruel, harsh, and inhumane; however, Atlanta Progressive News has learned that the Mayor’s proposal in fact provides for the same maximum jail sentence–180 days in jail–for any offense of aggressive panhandling, and adds a minimum jail sentence for […]

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Atlanta City Utilities Briefings Opened to the Public

(APN) ATLANTA — The Committee Briefings of the City Utilities Cmte of the City Council of Atlanta are now open to the public, Atlanta Progressive News has confirmed. As previously reported by APN, for the past several years, all seven Council Committee Briefings have been closed to the public, until in June of this year, when Chairwoman Felicia Moore (District […]

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Atlanta Council Advances Sole Source Contract on Grease Processing

(APN) ATLANTA — At the Full Council Meeting of the City Council of Atlanta on Tuesday, August 04, 2012, the Council approved legislation allowing Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration to move forward on negotiating a controversial sole source contract with a company called Fogfuels, Inc., to convert cooking grease into fuel for the City. The proposal, introduced by Councilman Lamar Willis […]

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Atlanta Council Panel Upholds Elephant Torture

(APN) ATLANTA — In a five to two vote, the Public Safety/Legal Administration Cmte of the City Council of Atlanta, voted on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, to approve an ordinance regarding animal abuse that does not include protections for elephants from the use of bullhooks. Council Members CT Martin (District 10) and Joyce Sheperd (District 12) were the two nay […]

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PART 3: Atlanta Airport Concessions Move Forward despite FAA Letter

(APN) ATLANTA — The City Council of Atlanta voted on April 30, 2012, to move forward with new concessions contracts, instead of delaying them ninety days, despite revelations that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has determined that some of the contracts are not in compliance with federal requirements designed to protect small and disadvantaged businesses. In this article, Atlanta Progressive […]

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Supreme Court Bans Secret Votes across State of Georgia

  (APN) ATLANTA — On Monday, February 06, 2012, the Supreme Court of Georgia issued its ruling in the case Cardinale v. City of Atlanta et al., ruling that the Georgia Open Meetings Act indeed requires the listing of the names of those voting against a proposal or abstaining, even in the case of a non-roll-call vote.The present writer filed […]

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Ceasar Mitchell: Council “Made a Mockery” of Themselves

  (APN) ATLANTA — Shortly after the Committee of the Whole of the City Council of Atlanta went into Executive Session on January 03, 2012, during the debate over concessions contracts at Atlanta’s Hartsfield- Jackson International Airport, Council President Ceasar Mitchell made the following remark about the Council: “They made a mockery… (inaudible)… I’m disappointed.” From the video, it is […]

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Atlanta Council Rejects Two Minute Speaking Request after 40 Minute Debate

  (APN) ATLANTA — The City Council of Atlanta took an extraordinary vote Monday, October 17, 2011, on whether to grant an additional two minutes of public speaking time to NAME President, an advocate for People TV, the endangered public access station. Ms. President ran out of time while making her remarks at the Full Council meeting, where two minutes […]

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Atlanta Council to Redistrict for Midtown, Buckhead Growth

  (APN) The City Council of Atlanta has begun the process of redistricting the twelve Council Districts following the 2010 Census results.  The Council held a public hearing to discuss redistricting on Wednesday, September 14, 2011. Atlanta Progressive News has learned that over the last ten years, significant growth has occurred in Midtown (Districts 2 and 6) and Buckhead (Districts […]

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Hearing Monday in Atlanta Council Closed Briefings Lawsuit

(APN) ATLANTA — On Monday, August 08, 2011, there will be a hearing before Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter in the case concerning the City Council of Atlanta’s practice of holding seven closed-door Committee Briefings every two weeks and not allowing in the public.   The hearing will begin at 10am, and at Fulton County Superior Court, Courtroom 4D, Justice Center Tower, […]

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APN Issues 2011 Atlanta Council Member Scorecards

  APN Issues 2011 Atlanta Council Member Scorecards By Matthew Cardinale (APN) ATLANTA — Following several important, split votes by the City Council of Atlanta in late 2010 and so far in 2011, Atlanta Progressive News has issued a revised Atlanta Council Member Scorecard for 2011. The Scorecard took into account a total of sixteen votes and other actions by […]

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