Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order calling for the city to create an Office of Inspector General.

The office would create the new position of Inspector General and an independent board with the authority to conduct administrative appeals and ethics investigations.

The board would appoint the Inspector General, who would serve a fixed term and could only be removed with cause.

The office would also gain the ability to appoint and remove the city auditor and city ethics officer, two existing positions.

Current City Auditor Amanda Noble criticized the new proposal, saying it would not serve the public interest.

Bottoms is facing two separate ethics investigations, one from the State Ethics Commission and another from the City Council.

The Atlanta City Council will hold a special election for District 3 on March 19, 2019.

The District 3 seat is vacant after Councilman Ivory Lee Young Jr. passed away on November 16 due to cancer.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Young’s term until 2021. .

If required, a runoff election will be held April 16, 2019.

Atlanta City Council members introduced legislation requiring individuals and principals seeking to influence legislative or administrative actions of the city to register as a lobbyist.

The ordinance would require registration for any effort to influence an approval or veto of legislation; an agency’s proposal, consideration, or promulgation of a regulation; or the solicitation, award, or administration of a contract.

If approved, the effective date is January, 1, 2019.