🗓️ Next week is the qualifying period for municipal candidates
Dozens of hopefuls running for Atlanta mayor, City Council president, city council, or Board of Education seats may have already started fundraising and knocking on doors for the Nov. 4 election – but they have one last step to take for their names to appear on the ballot: paying the fee.
They do that through a process called candidate qualifying, which will be held on Aug. 19 to 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The qualifying fee varies by seat. For mayor, it’s $6,082, which drops to $2,232 for city council president, $2,171 for city council seats, and $900 to run for the Board of Education.
To qualify without paying the fee, you can submit a pauper’s affidavit, though nobody has qualified this way in recent memory. That’s because it requires that you list your assets and collect signatures from eligible voters for the office you’re seeking. How many? 1% of the votes for the seat in the last election cycle. So if you wanted to run for mayor, city council president, or an at-large council seat, you’d need 1% of 418,866 votes, or 4,188 signatures, according to the Municipal Clerk’s Office.Â
Another option to avoid paying the qualifying fee is to declare a write-in candidacy. That means filing a form with the city clerk’s office and publishing a notice in one of the legal organs for the city of Atlanta – the South Fulton Neighbor for Fulton County or The Champion for DeKalb County – by Aug. 29.
🗳️ Another candidate joins District 7 council race
With the qualifying period around the corner, candidates have just 10 days left to enter the race for a municipal office.
Allen Daly, a 31-year-old cybersecurity professional, is the latest candidate to enter the crowded race for Atlanta City Council District 7, which covers most of Buckhead. The seat came open after Howard Shook, its longtime holder, decided not to run for another term.Â
Daly kicked off his campaign at his Buckhead home last Tuesday, outlining the following campaign priorities: no new taxes, smart traffic signals, more policing in Buckhead, and development that respects neighborhood character and tree canopy.Â
Daly has yet to report any campaign finance contributions, but he said he spent his own money to launch his campaign. The latest campaign finance disclosure cycle ended June 30. Here are the four other contenders:
- Jamie Christy, an associate attorney at Schreeder, Wheeler & Flint and vice president of the Buckhead Young Republicans. Reported raising $37,400 as of June 30.
- Thad Flowers, a public affairs specialist for engineering services firm AtkinsRĂ©alis and the former chief of staff for Atlanta City Council. Reported raising $26,500 as of June 30.Â
- Rebecca King, president of the Buckhead Condo Alliance and former NPU-B chair. Reporting raising $9,500 as of June 30.
- Thomas Worthy, chief public policy officer for Piedmont Healthcare and Gov. Brian Kemp’s appointee to the MARTA board. Reported raising $70,100 as of June 30.Â
🤝 Want to serve on Atlanta City Council through January?
The Atlanta City Council is accepting applications to fill the remainder of District 2 Councilmember Amir Farokhi’s term. Interested District 2 residents have until 5 p.m. on Aug. 27 to apply. Farokhi’s resignation to become Head of The Galloway School takes effect Aug. 23, so the city council will appoint someone to serve through Jan. 5, 2025, when the winner of the Nov. 4 election for the seat will take over.Â
To apply, submit a resume and a statement of interest online or in person to the Municipal Clerk’s Office, located on the 2nd Floor of Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. Candidates must have lived in the district for over a year and be registered to vote in Atlanta. To find out more, check out the city’s application process, or this breakdown from the Center for Civic Innovation.Â
🗑️ Garbage collectors’ strike enters 7th week
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is holding the line for its national strike against waste management company Republic Services. Locally, 33 garbage collectors in Cumming walked off the job July 8. Their facility serves all of Alpharetta and businesses in North Fulton County.Â
The Cumming workers, members of Teamsters Local 728, voted to strike after their contract negotiations with Republic Services stalled in March. They’re demanding higher pay and better working conditions. Republic Services returned to the negotiating table two weeks into their strike, but there is still no deal. Another round of talks is scheduled for today, according to local Teamsters organizer Chuck Stiles.
“I’m hoping tomorrow [Tuesday] we get a deal,” Stiles said Monday, adding that the Cumming workers’ spirits remain high. “We have 100% support, everybody is out, and nobody’s going back in.”Â
Republic Services filed a Form 8-K on July 29, reporting that it expects labor disruptions to cost from $25 million to $50 million by the end of the year. (The US Securities and Exchange Commission requires the disclosure to inform shareholders when significant material events occur.) The company anticipates 2025 revenue of $16.68 to $16.75 billion and profit of $2.09 to $2.1 billion.
đź’° Thursday: US Rep. Williams to hold joint town hall with City Councilmember Boone
US Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Atlanta) and Atlanta City Councilmember Andrea Boone are hosting a joint town hall from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday to discuss “Trump and the “Republicans’ billionaire budget.” Boone represents District 10, which covers West Atlanta, including Carroll Heights and Adamsville.
The Aug. 14 event is free and open to the public, but online registration is recommended. It will take place at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church, located at 534 Fairburn Rd. NW.Â
The past, present, and future of the Voting Rights Act
On Tuesday, August 19, from 3–4 p.m. ET, the Brennan Center will host a free virtual discussion on the Voting Rights Act’s history, its impact today, and the fight to protect fair representation for all. Rep. Williams will join a panel of national experts to unpack recent court challenges — including threats to the law’s last remaining protections — and what Congress can do to safeguard the right to vote.
→ RSVP here.
Today’s Democracy Digest newsletter was written by Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon. It was edited by Meredith Hobbs. As always, thank you for reading. Have tips, corrections, or questions? Just reply to this email.
Your donation fuels local journalism. Together, we can continue delivering accurate news and insightful, solutions-oriented stories that matter to you.