LISTEN: Monday night, Atlanta City Council passed a measure 14 to 1 that will redefine the powers of the Office of Inspector General. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports.
On Monday night, Atlanta City Council passed a measure 14 to 1 that will redefine the powers of the Office of Inspector General. This vote follows the recommendations of the 2024 task force assembled to review the office.
The task force was assembled by City Council in September following disagreements between the OIG and city officials about how investigations are conducted.
The OIG previously shared a list of concerns about the proposed changes with support from the Association of Inspectors General. Among the revisions they opposed were changes that give the mayor power to choose board members and removes the OIG ability to immediately access city records and property.
Prior to the vote, Inspector General Shannon Manigault announced her resignation from the office and said she can’t make the city do right by the public.
“All I can do is try to make sure that the serious allegations, that you all have entrusted the OIG, do not die with me or the imminent death by legislation of our office,” Manigault said.
Manigault said she has faced harassment from the city that has escalated to involve her family and that is what led her to resign four years into her five-year term.
Councilmember Eshé Collins led the committee on council that wrote this legislation. She said during the meeting this measure is a solid piece of legislation.
“We have kept our head in the game of ensuring that this legislation not only provide balance, but to provide oversight to move forward, I am extremely proud of this work,” Collins said.
The final legislation approved by city council will keep the board of the OIG independent from the mayor, but it will bar employee statements from being used in criminal proceedings and creates a formal process for accessing records.
The OIG said the change would allow employees to treat investigative access to documents like an Open Records Act request potentially exposing confidential details and delaying access to information.
Michelle Sanchez is resident of Atlanta who spoke during public comment at the meeting. She said this city has a history of scandals.
“If you vote to gut the office of the Inspector general, you are telling the people of Atlanta that corruption is not just tolerated, It's protected," she said. "The people of this city are watching.”
The Office of the Inspector General was created in 2020 after several federal convictions of Atlanta officials for engaging in corrupt acts.
