ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens responded Monday to growing scrutiny over nearly $1 million in payments to a consultant for work that couldn’t legally proceed — but notably shifted responsibility away from his administration, instead pointing to the Atlanta City Council’s oversight of City Clerk’s Office and the Law Department’s handling of the contract.
In a memo obtained by Atlanta News First, Dickens outlined the rationale for hiring retired Atlanta City Clerk Foris Webb III to oversee the city’s response to a massive referendum effort challenging the $90 million Public Safety Training Center, while emphasizing that the clerk’s office operates under council authority.
The response comes after media outlets, including Atlanta News First, revealed that the city paid Webb $35,000 per month from August 2023 through November 2025 — totaling $910,000 — despite a legal challenge that made the underlying work impossible…