Council holds charter amendment altering Office of Inspector General governance after sustained public comment

The Atlanta City Council voted to hold proposed charter amendments that would change the authority and governance of the city’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) and ethics office after extensive public comment and committee discussion.

The ordinance in question, referred to in meeting materials as 25-O-1009, would create separate governing boards for the OIG and the ethics office and revise authorities and appointment processes. Supporters of the current OIG governance and outside experts told council the draft contains provisions that would meaningfully reduce investigative authority, constrain evidence access, and reduce community representation on oversight boards.

Devin Franklin, senior movement policy counsel at the Southern Center for Human Rights, described multiple problematic draft provisions. He said the proposed language narrowing investigative authority — which would prohibit the OIG from conducting criminal investigations — and a revised…