Decatur, Georgia does not have a city council. The Decatur City Council that residents search for is officially the City Commission, a five-member elected body that sets policy, passes ordinances, approves the budget, and hires the city manager who runs daily operations.1City of Decatur, GA. City Commission The name is different, but the function is what most people mean by a council.
Who Sits on the Commission
Five commissioners serve overlapping four-year terms, chosen in nonpartisan elections. Two represent District 1, two represent District 2, and one holds an at-large seat covering the whole city.1City of Decatur, GA. City Commission Each district splits its two seats into a Post A and a Post B, so district voters pick between candidates running for a specific post rather than choosing from a single pool.2Municode Library. Decatur City Charter – Section 3.13
There is no separately elected mayor. Each January the five commissioners vote among themselves to choose a Mayor and a Mayor Pro Tem. The mayor presides over meetings and is the commission’s public face, but has the same single vote as everyone else.1City of Decatur, GA. City Commission District commissioners must live in their district throughout their term; the at-large commissioner can live anywhere inside city limits.
What the Commission Decides
The commission holds Decatur’s legislative power under the city charter. It writes and amends ordinances on public health, safety, and general welfare.3Municode Library. Decatur City Charter – Section 3.10 Under Georgia law, violating a municipal ordinance carries up to $1,000 in fines, six months of jail, or both, unless the charter sets a different limit.4Justia Law. Georgia Code 15-7-84 – Violation of Municipal Ordinances
The commission also makes the appointments that determine how the city actually operates. A majority vote hires the city manager for an indefinite term as chief executive; the charter requires the choice to be made on professional qualifications, and the manager must live inside city limits while serving.5Municode Library. Decatur City Charter – Section 4.10 The commission appoints the city attorney annually and municipal court judges every two years.1City of Decatur, GA. City Commission Department heads are nominated by the manager but need commission confirmation.
Budget and Property Taxes
The commission adopts the annual operating budget that the city manager prepares from department estimates.6City of Decatur, GA. Budget Part of that process is setting the millage rate for property taxes. For fiscal year 2026–2027, the commission tentatively adopted 11.20 mills for maintenance and operations.7City of Decatur, GA. Notice of Property Tax Increase The rate was 12.97 mills in fiscal year 2024–2025.8City of Decatur, Georgia. City of Decatur Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget Report
Zoning and Land Use
Changes to Decatur’s comprehensive land use map and zoning map require commission approval. Rezoning requests can be initiated by the commission, the Planning Commission, or a property owner, and each goes through a public hearing with a Planning Commission recommendation before the vote. Conditional use permits, which allow certain uses only with individual approval, carry conditions that bind future owners, and any major amendment has to come back before the commission.9City of Decatur, GA. Land Use and Zoning
When and Where Meetings Happen
The commission meets the first and third Mondays of each month at City Hall, 509 North McDonough Street, starting at 7:30 p.m.10City of Decatur, GA. City Commission Agendas/Minutes Georgia’s Open Meetings Act requires meetings to be open to the public, the schedule to be posted at least a week ahead, agendas to be available during the two-week window before a meeting, and a summary of actions to be published within two business days after.11Justia Law. Georgia Code 50-14-1 – Meetings to Be Open to Public
Agendas and minutes for past and upcoming meetings sit on the city’s website. Live broadcasts and archived recordings are available through the city’s streaming video page, usually posted within 24 hours, with closed captioning on the archives.12City of Decatur, GA. Streaming Video
Speaking at a Meeting
Every agenda includes time for public comments and questions, and any issue tied to city government can be raised then.10City of Decatur, GA. City Commission Agendas/Minutes The city does not publish detailed sign-up rules or per-speaker time limits online, so if you’re attending for the first time, arrive early and check with the city clerk on the current process. Commissioners generally take input without immediate debate and act on it later.
Georgia law also guarantees the right to record meetings by audio or video, so you can document what happens.11Justia Law. Georgia Code 50-14-1 – Meetings to Be Open to Public
Serving on a Board or Running for a Seat
The commission appoints volunteer residents to advisory boards that shape its decisions without setting policy themselves. The most active include the Planning Commission (rezoning and land use), the Zoning Board of Appeals (variances and zoning appeals), the Historic Preservation Commission (changes in historic districts), the Environmental Sustainability Board, and the Ethics Committee.13City of Decatur, GA. Boards and Commissions Openings are posted on the city website and residents apply directly.
Running for a commission seat requires living in the city for at least one year before the election, being a registered Decatur voter, and having no conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude unless pardoned or with citizenship rights restored. District candidates must also live in the district they want to represent.14City of Decatur, GA. Elections and Voting The qualifying period for the 2026 general election runs March 2 through March 6, 2026.15Georgia Secretary of State. Candidate Qualifying for Elected Office
Requesting City Records
Any resident can request city documents under the Georgia Open Records Act. The city has three business days to respond, and if records exist but aren’t ready to hand over, that first response must describe them and give a time and cost estimate.16Office of the Governor. Open Records Request