DECATUR, Ga. — For the first time in a decade, the City of Decatur has a new mayor.
City Commissioner Tony Powers was chosen as the city’s mayor at Monday’s commission meeting.
Channel 2’s Steve Gehlbach was at city hall, where the mayors are chosen, not elected by their constituents.
In just two years, though, that may be changing.
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Decatur’s government chooses its leaders in a way that is somewhat unique.
While most cities in the metro Atlanta area pick their mayors through a general election, Decatur’s mayor is currently chosen by a vote from the city’s five commissioners.
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However, an effort to change that for the next mayor is coming, and expected to take effect in time for 2027.
At Monday’s meeting, Powers was chosen to be mayor and received a standing ovation when the gavel was passed to him.
He takes over as mayor after serving as a commissioner for 10 years.
“Serving in a local role, especially in your hometown, is being able to see the changes,” Powers told Channel 2 Action News. “I’ll let history judge how effective we were.”
Powers is only the second Black mayor of Decatur in the city’s 200 year history.
The new mayor said one of his priorities is making sure renovations at Decatur Square are complete and ready ahead of the summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Powers is also focused on getting homeless residents off the streets and getting them the help they need, but said he knows it’ll be a challenge.
As far as the way mayors are chosen, Powers said “you’re only guaranteed to be mayor for that one year,” due to the current selection process.
However, the city commission voted in December to change the city charter, moving the mayoral process to a general election, starting in November 2027.
“We hear a lot how the old way Decatur ran and the structure isn’t going to change, the only thing that’s changing is the stability in the mayor’s role,” Powers said. “Our community will actually get a chance to officially elect the mayor now.”
In addition to Powers’ selection as mayor by his fellow commissioners, two new members of the commission were elected and were sworn in on Monday.
After the runoff elections in Decatur for December, the city commission is experiencing another first, being the first time the commission has a Black majority.
Commissioner Lesa Fronk was chosen to be the mayor pro tem.
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