Committee on Council approves several mayoral and council appointments, reappoints audit committee members

The Committee on Council convened on May 20, 2025, and voted to favorably report several communications and resolutions, approving multiple appointments submitted by the mayor and council members and reappointing two audit-committee members.

The actions matter because the approved appointments fill city boards and executive roles and the resolutions reappoint audit committee members who serve in oversight roles for the city.

Mr. Overton read communications submitted to the committee: 25 C 0050 (a Metro Atlanta Chamber appointment to the Office of Inspector General governing board for a three-year term), 25 C 0057 (Mayor Andre Dickens appointing Ricky Smith as aviation general manager), 25 C 0058 (a reappointment of Roseanne Maltese to the water and sewer appeals board from council members Liliana Bakhtiari, Alex Swan and Matt Westmoreland for a two-year term beginning retroactively on March 4, 2025), 25 C 0059 (Mayor Dickens appointing James Gregg Yearly to the Department of Watershed Management), and 25 C 0062 (Mayor Dickens appointing Byron Gibbs to the license review board for a two-year term through March 3, 2027).

Isha Collins, chair of the Committee on Council, moved to approve the appointments; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Byron Amos. The committee voted "4 yeas, 0 nays," and the items were reported favorable.

The committee also considered two resolutions from the Finance Executive Committee: 25 R 3493 to reappoint Donald Panovi as one of three at-large members of the City of Atlanta audit committee and 25 R 3494 to appoint Charles Bell as an at-large member. The resolutions were moved for approval and seconded by Vice Chair Liliana Bakhtiari; the committee voted "4 yeas, 0 nays," and both items were reported favorable.

Under first reading, the committee introduced ordinance 25 O 1291, by the Committee on Council, to amend Part 2, Chapter 2, Article 2 of the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances by adding a new Section 2-106 to codify procedures for the city council when meeting as a committee of the whole. No final action was taken on the ordinance at this meeting; staff and members indicated they will continue review at a future Committee on Council meeting.

The committee also passed a resolution (25 R 3502) by the Committee on Council requesting that all legislation creating a board, authority, commission or committee include specific core information to promote transparency, accountability and public engagement. Chair Collins moved approval; Vice Chair Bakhtiari seconded and the committee voted "4 yeas, 0 nays." In presenting the resolution, Collins said the city has approximately "about a 41 boards, committees, commissions, authorities, appointments" under the committee’s purview and described the resolution as creating a checklist process to manage those bodies.

Committee votes recorded at the meeting included adoption of the meeting agenda and approval of prior minutes (each recorded as "4 yeas, 0 nays"). The committee noted there were no registered public speakers for the public comment portion.

Next steps: the ordinance introducing Section 2-106 will be circulated for further review and discussed at a future Committee on Council meeting; the favorable reports on appointments and audit-committee resolutions will proceed per council rules.