The Savannah City Council members are Mayor Van R. Johnson II and eight aldermen: two elected citywide and six elected from geographic districts. All nine were elected or re-elected in November 2023 to four-year terms under the council-manager form of government Savannah adopted in 1954.1Savannah, GA – Official Website. Government
Who Serves on the Council Right Now
Van R. Johnson II is serving his second consecutive term as mayor after winning re-election in 2023 with roughly 77 percent of the vote.2City of Savannah, GA – Official Website. Contact Your City Council
The two at-large seats are held by Carol Bell (Post 1) and Alicia Miller Blakely (Post 2). The six district aldermen are:
- District 1: Bernetta B. Lanier
- District 2: Detric Leggett
- District 3: Linda Wilder-Bryan, Vice Chair of Council
- District 4: Nick Palumbo, Chairman of Council
- District 5: Dr. Estella Edwards Shabazz, Mayor Pro Tem
- District 6: Kurtis Purtee
Office addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses for each member are posted on the city’s official contact page.2City of Savannah, GA – Official Website. Contact Your City Council
At-Large Versus District Seats
The two at-large aldermen represent the entire city and may live anywhere within the city limits.3City of Savannah, GA – Official Website. Savannah City Council Board Information Their role is to think about Savannah as a whole rather than a single neighborhood, which is why every resident has at least one representative not tied to a specific district.
District aldermen must live in the district they represent and remain a resident throughout their term. District lines are redrawn periodically to keep populations roughly equal across the six districts, subject to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Terms, Term Limits, and Pay
The mayor and all eight aldermen serve four-year terms. The mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms. Aldermen face a three-term limit in any single seat, a rule that took effect with the 2023 election cycle, and an initial partial term counts as a full term for that limit.4City of Savannah. Resolution Regarding Aldermanic Term Limits
As of January 2024, the mayor earns $65,000 per year and each alderman earns $35,000.5City of Savannah. Resolution Regarding City Council Salary Increases These are treated as part-time positions, though committee work, constituent services, and regular meetings add up.
What the Council Actually Does
The council is Savannah’s legislative body. It adopts the annual budget, sets the city’s property tax millage rate each year, passes ordinances covering zoning and business licensing, and appoints the City Manager.1Savannah, GA – Official Website. Government
The City Manager is the chief executive who runs day-to-day operations, leading an executive team over five major offices — Police, Fire, Operations, Infrastructure and Development, and Community Services — and roughly 30 departments and service centers.6City of Savannah, GA – Official Website. Office of the City Manager The council can terminate that appointment if it is unhappy with the manager’s performance. The split keeps elected officials on policy and a professional administrator on execution.
How to Reach a Member or Attend a Meeting
The council meets on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 2 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 2 East Bay Street. Meetings are open to the public and agendas are posted in advance on the city’s website.7City of Savannah. City of Savannah Agenda and Minutes
Residents who want to speak generally need to sign up through the Clerk of Council’s office before the session. Speakers are given a few minutes to address the council, with time limits set by the council’s meeting rules, so it is worth checking with the Clerk’s office beforehand.
For issues that do not need a public statement, contacting your alderman directly between meetings is often more productive. District aldermen in particular maintain constituent offices for neighborhood-level concerns, which is the whole reason those seats exist.