ATLANTA — Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ second term is officially underway. The city’s 61st mayor was sworn in on Monday afternoon on the campus of Georgia State University.
When Dickens first took office four years ago, the city was still in the middle of a global pandemic.
Now, Dickens said he’s excited to build on the positive changes Atlanta has seen, including more affordable housing and a significant drop in crime.
With his daughter by his side, Dickens took his oath Monday afternoon in front of an estimated crowd of 5,000 people at the Georgia State University Convocation Center.
“I am deeply humbled to stand before you today as I begin a second term as mayor of the City of Atlanta,” Dickens said.
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Before laying out his vision for the future, Dickens highlighted accomplishments from his first four years in office, including leading the city out of a global pandemic.
“We opened 500 rapid rehousing units to address homelessness and started or completed more than 13,000 units of affordable housing,” Dickens said.
The mayor also touched on public safety, noting Atlanta has seen one of the largest drops in violent crime in the country.
“For the first time in years, we finished 2025 with fewer than 100 homicides in the City of Atlanta,” Dickens said.
Dickens and his administration also pointed to the impact of the year of the youth, including record achievements in education.
“Atlanta Public Schools achieved the highest graduation rate in the city’s history,” Dickens said.
Financially, Dickens noted that during his first term, the city’s minimum wage increased to $17.50 an hour. But before delivering his closing remarks, the mayor made it clear that the work is far from over.
“Together, as one indivisible community, we will close the book on a tale of two cities and build a brighter future for all Atlantans. Let’s continue to move Atlanta forward together,” Dickens said.
In addition to the mayor’s swearing-in, city council members took the oath of office, including three newcomers.
City Council President Marci Collier Overstreet was also sworn in. She won election in November after former President Doug Shipman chose not to seek re-election.
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