About

The City is a municipal corporation of the State of Georgia (the "State") created by an act of the General Assembly of the State in 1843, incorporated in 1847, and now existing and subject to the provisions of the City Charter (the "Charter").  Atlanta is located in the north-central part of the State, which is the top growth area in the State and has been one of the highest growth areas of the country for over three decades.

City Administration and Elected Officials

Under the Charter, all legislative powers of the City are vested in the Atlanta City Council (the "City Council"), and all executive and administrative powers of the City are vested in the Mayor.

The City Council consists of 15 members who serve four‑year terms of office.  The City is divided into 12 City Council districts.  Twelve members of the City Council are elected by district, and three members of the City Council are elected at‑large.

The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City and has the power to direct and supervise the administration of all departments of the City.  The Charter grants the Mayor the power to veto any ordinance or resolution adopted by the City Council, which veto may be overridden only upon the vote of two‑thirds of the total membership of the City Council.  The Charter also grants the Mayor the power to veto any item or items of any ordinance or resolution making appropriations, which veto may be overridden only upon the vote of two‑thirds of the total membership of the City Council. 

City Services

The City provides a full range of municipal government services – police and fire protection, recreational, cultural, traffic control, sanitary code enforcement, pretrial detention, municipal court, planning and zoning, and building and housing code enforcement services; acquires, constructs, and maintains highways, streets, bridges, traffic signals, and other infrastructure.

City Operations

The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is owned by the City of Atlanta and operated by the Department of Aviation. The Atlanta Airport has been classified as a large hub by the FAA, is the principal air carrier airport service in the State of Georgia and the southeastern United States, and serves as a primary transfer point in the national air transportation system. According to Airports Council International (ACI), the Airport is the busiest passenger airport in the world, with approximately 93.7 million total (enplaned and deplaned) passengers in calendar year 2022. According to the Air Transport Research Society, the Airport is the most efficient airport in the world. For additional information regarding Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, please click here. Additionally, the City owns a drinking water supply, treatment and distribution system, owns and operates a wastewater collection and treatment system, including three treatment plants.

Learn about our environmental, social, and governance initiatives, and how we bring those values to life.