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Atlanta City Council spars over candidates' qualification to fill vacant seat

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Updated  March 19, 2024 11:55pm EDT
Atlanta City Council
FOX 5 Atlanta

Atlanta City Council vacant seat heated debate

The efforts to fill the seat on the Atlanta City Council left vacant by the resignation of Keisha Waites has sparked anger and accusations of playing politics.

ATLANTA - Fireworks exploded and allegations of playing politics were hurled at the Atlanta City Council meeting on Monday. The council was setting the rules to fill the vacant at-large seat that opened with the abrupt resignation of Keisha Waites earlier this month.

Some council members wanted qualifying to run for this open seat to happen right away, instead of the 10-week period before the election that veteran council members say is standard.

"To call a special election for Post 3 at-large," council member Liliana Bakhtiati said.

Sparring over the candidates qualifying for the Nov. 5 election occupied a portion of Monday’s meeting.

"I prefer that we have an appointee. I think that is a long time for this seat to be empty," District 11 council woman Marci Overstreet explained.

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Legislation that had no name attached to it set the time for candidate qualifications to begin in mid-May.

"Whatever the reason was for moving this up five to six months, the people and those ready and willing to run for office should be outraged," District 10 council woman Andrea Boone questioned.

Political pundits say having the qualifications so early limits those who can qualify to the more wealthy and politically connected candidates, but one council member accused his colleagues of getting personal.

"Having a qualifying time in May or April or March seems like it's targeted at a person. Seems like it's targeted at an individual who left this body and trying to rob them of an opportunity to run for a seat later down the road," council member Michael Julian vociferously stated.

The senior councilman was enraged with his colleagues, whom he accused of using childish tactics.

"I am concerned that we don't denigrate it with personal lowball, kindergarten like, ‘I don't like you, you don't like me’ tactics that are frankly below every member of this body," Bond yelled as he slammed his hand on the desk.

The council finally passed a composed date in June, but Bond said an Aug. 26 date would have been more in line with tradition.