Government of Fulton County, Georgia
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | December 20, 1853 |
| Jurisdiction | Fulton County, Georgia |
| Headquarters | Fulton County Government Center 141 Pryor Street SW Atlanta, Georgia 30303 |
| Employees | ~4,500 (FY 2025) |
| Annual budget | ~$1 billion (FY 2025 adopted) |
| Website | www |
The Government of Fulton County, Georgia is the administrative, legislative, and judicial structure through which Fulton County, Georgia—the most populous county in the U.S. state of Georgia—delivers public services, enforces law, and administers regional programs for more than one million residents.[1] The county seat is the City of Atlanta, which also serves as the state capital. The government's primary legislative body is the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, a seven-member unicameral body that sets county policy, adopts the annual budget, and appoints a professional County Manager to administer day-to-day operations.[2]
Fulton County occupies a unique position in Georgia local governance. Following a sustained wave of municipal incorporations between 2005 and 2021—commonly referred to as the "cityhood movement"—the county became the first in Georgia to cease providing locally oriented municipal services such as police patrol, fire suppression, and residential zoning, as virtually all residential land within its borders became part of an incorporated city.[3] The county government consequently transitioned to a structure focused exclusively on county-wide regional services: courts and judicial administration, public health, social and behavioral health services, elections infrastructure, property tax administration, and detention.
The Fulton County Government Center, located at 141 Pryor Street SW in Atlanta, serves as the seat of county government and the home of the Board of Commissioners chambers.[4]
History and formation
Fulton County was created from the western half of DeKalb County on December 20, 1853, by an act of the state legislature.[5] The county is commonly thought to have been named after Robert Fulton, the inventor associated with early steamboat development, though the New Georgia Encyclopedia notes that more recent scholarship suggests the name may instead honor Hamilton Fulton, a railroad official and surveyor instrumental in routing the Western and Atlantic Railroad through the region.[5] On January 1, 1932, Fulton County nearly tripled in area when the neighboring counties of Milton (to the north) and Campbell (to the south) were merged into Fulton, in part to reduce the costs of operating three separate county governments.[6]
Through the nineteenth century and the twentieth century, county government operated in the traditional Georgia model, providing both state-delegated services (courts, property tax administration, elections) and municipal-style services (road maintenance, zoning, public safety) to residents of unincorporated areas. For most of the twentieth century, the county's unincorporated territories—particularly in the northern and southwestern portions of the county—were heavily populated suburbs that relied on Fulton County for essentially all municipal services. Tension between these communities and the county government over the allocation of tax revenue and local control over zoning was a persistent feature of county politics by the 1970s and 1980s.[7]
The cityhood movement and structural transformation (2005–2021)
The most consequential structural change in modern Fulton County governance was the incorporation of formerly unincorporated communities into independent cities between 2005 and 2021, a process known locally as the "cityhood movement."[3]
Since the 1970s, residents of the densely populated northern suburb of Sandy Springs had sought municipal incorporation to gain local control over zoning, land use, and taxation, but were repeatedly blocked in the Georgia General Assembly. When the Georgia legislature shifted to Republican control following the 2002 and 2004 elections, the political landscape changed. The General Assembly approved creation of the City of Sandy Springs in 2005.[8] Residents ratified the charter by a 94 percent margin in a referendum held on June 21, 2005, and the new city officially incorporated at midnight on December 1, 2005.[8] The event attracted national attention as an early large-scale experiment in private-contract municipal governance.
Sandy Springs triggered a cascade of similar efforts. In 2006, the General Assembly approved charters for Milton and Johns Creek, whose residents ratified their charters in a July 18, 2006 referendum; both cities incorporated on December 1, 2006, completing the full municipalization of north Fulton County.[5] In June 2007, voters in the southwest Fulton community of Chattahoochee Hills approved incorporation; that city incorporated on December 1, 2007.[5]
The remaining unincorporated portion of the county—the southwest area eventually branded as South Fulton—rejected cityhood in a September 2007 referendum. That area remained unincorporated until the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 514 in 2016, which was signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal on April 29, 2016.[9] Residents approved cityhood in a November 2016 referendum, and the City of South Fulton formally incorporated on May 1, 2017, after holding elections for mayor and city council on March 21, 2017.[3]
With the incorporation of South Fulton in 2017, the county ceased providing police, fire, planning, zoning, and code enforcement services to residential areas—the first Georgia county to do so.[3] As the Association County Commissioners of Georgia's deputy legislative director, Todd Edwards, stated at the time: "It's uncharted territory. The experience they've gone through can be a learning experience for all counties."[3] One small portion of the county—the Fulton Industrial Boulevard commercial corridor—remained technically unincorporated through 2020 due to a 1979 state law barring its annexation.[10] The Georgia General Assembly subsequently passed House Bill 445, enabling a countywide referendum, and the City of South Fulton formally annexed the Fulton Industrial area in May 2021, completing the full incorporation of Fulton County.[11]
Government structure
The Government of Fulton County, Georgia operates under the council-manager government model. Legislative and policy-making authority rests with the elected Fulton County Board of Commissioners, while administrative authority is delegated to an appointed County Manager. Separately, the Georgia Constitution and state law vest specific judicial and constitutional functions in independently elected county officers who do not report to the Board of Commissioners.[4]
Legislative branch: Board of Commissioners
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners is the seven-member unicameral governing body of Fulton County. It functions as the county's primary legislative and policy-making body, adopting the annual budget, setting millage rates, enacting resolutions, approving contracts, and establishing policies for the health and welfare of county residents.[4]
Six of the seven commissioners are elected from single-member geographic districts; the seventh, the Chairman, is elected countywide in an at-large election and serves as the presiding officer of the Board.[12] Each year, the Board elects one of its district members to serve as Vice Chairman. All members serve staggered four-year terms; candidates must be at least 25 years of age and county residents. District commissioners are part-time elected officials and many hold concurrent outside employment; the Chairman's role functions in practice as a full-time position.[4] The Board meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in Assembly Hall at the Fulton County Government Center, 141 Pryor Street SW, Atlanta. Meetings are broadcast live on the county's government access television channel, FGTV.[12]
Current membership (as of 2026)
| Seat | Member | Party | Geographic coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman (At-Large) | Robb Pitts | Democratic | All of Fulton County | Elected chair in December 2017 special election runoff, following chairman John Eaves's resignation; re-elected 2022[13][14] |
| District 1 | Bridget Thorne | Republican | Johns Creek; parts of Roswell, Alpharetta, and Sandy Springs[12] | |
| District 2 | Bob Ellis | Republican | Milton, Mountain Park; large parts of Alpharetta, Roswell, and Sandy Springs[12] | |
| District 3 | Dana Barrett | Democratic | All of Buckhead; parts of Sandy Springs and Midtown Atlanta[12] | |
| District 4 | Vacant | — | Southeast Fulton County | Mo Ivory, elected November 2024, resigned March 6, 2026, to seek the chairmanship; a special election to fill the seat is scheduled for November 2026[15] |
| District 5 | Marvin S. Arrington Jr. | Democratic | East Atlanta, East Point, City of South Fulton; parts of Union City and College Park[12] | |
| District 6 (Vice Chair) | Khadijah Abdur-Rahman | Democratic | South-central Fulton County (the district is colloquially known as "The Mighty 6")[12] | Serves as Vice Chair |
Political composition and history
Through the latter decades of the twentieth century, the Board of Commissioners reflected the partisan and demographic diversity of a county that encompassed both predominantly Republican northern suburbs and the heavily Democratic urban core around Atlanta. As the northern suburban communities incorporated and assumed their own local government functions, the countywide electorate for Board elections gradually shifted toward the county's Democratic base concentrated in Atlanta, South Fulton, and the inner suburbs. By the 2010s, Democrats held a clear majority of Board seats. As of 2026, Democrats hold five of the six filled seats; the two seats in north Fulton (Districts 1 and 2) are held by Republicans representing the more affluent communities of Milton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, and Johns Creek.[16]
The chairmanship became vacant in 2017 when Chairman John Eaves resigned to run for Mayor of Atlanta, and the death of District 4 Commissioner Joan Garner created a second vacancy simultaneously.[14] Robb Pitts won the resulting special election runoff for chairman on December 5, 2017, defeating Keisha Sean Waites, and has served as chairman since.[14] Past members of the Board have included Martin Luther King III, Michael Lomax, and Karen Handel.[16]
Administrative branch: Office of the County Manager
The Board of Commissioners does not directly administer county operations. Instead, the Board appoints a professional County Manager who serves as the chief executive administrator of county government and is accountable to the Board as a whole.[4]
The County Manager's responsibilities include implementing Board policies, preparing the annual budget proposal for Board approval, appointing department directors and agency heads, and supervising the county workforce.[17] As of 2026, the County Manager is Richard "Dick" Anderson, appointed by the Board in March 2015. Anderson oversees an organization of approximately 4,500 employees with an operating budget of approximately $1 billion, serving more than one million county residents.[17] Prior to joining Fulton County, Anderson held executive positions at the Federal Reserve, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, and BellSouth/AT&T.[17]
The County Manager's executive leadership team includes a Chief Financial Officer, responsible for finance, information technology, purchasing, and personnel; and a Chief Operating Officer, who provides executive oversight of Health and Human Services, Economic Development, Public Safety, and Arts and Libraries.[18]
Judicial and constitutional officers
Under the Georgia Constitution and state law, several countywide offices are independently elected by voters and exercise constitutional functions outside the direct authority of the Board of Commissioners or the County Manager. These officers are elected on partisan ballots to four-year terms and manage their own offices and budgets, subject to appropriation by the Board.[19]
District Attorney
The District Attorney of Fulton County is the chief prosecutorial officer for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, exercising authority over all felony criminal prosecutions arising within Fulton County. The office is constitutionally independent of the Board of Commissioners and is not subject to Board direction in prosecutorial decisions.[20]
The current District Attorney is Fani Willis, who took office on January 1, 2021. Willis is the first woman to serve as Fulton County District Attorney.[20] She was re-elected in November 2024, defeating Republican challenger Courtney Kramer.[21]
Sheriff
The Fulton County Sheriff is an independently elected constitutional officer responsible for administering the Fulton County Jail, providing courtroom security for all county judges, serving civil process and warrants, and conducting delinquent property tax sales.[22]
The current Sheriff is Patrick Labat, who took office on January 1, 2021, as the 28th Sheriff of Fulton County. Sheriff Labat oversees a staff of approximately 875 employees and an annual budget of more than $143 million.[23] He was re-elected in November 2024.[24] Prior to his election as Sheriff, Labat served for a decade as Chief of the City of Atlanta Department of Corrections.[23]
Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts
The Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts is an independently elected officer responsible for managing all court filings, maintaining civil and criminal records, and providing administrative support services to the county's superior and magistrate courts. The Clerk's office also processes passport applications, notary public certifications, and real estate filings.[25]
The current Clerk is Ché Alexander, who was sworn in on June 30, 2023, to complete the remaining term of her predecessor, and was subsequently re-elected unopposed in November 2024.[26][24] Under Alexander's leadership, the office reduced the county's judicial case backlog by 63 percent, earning the county the 2023 County of Excellence Award.[26]
Tax Commissioner
The Fulton County Tax Commissioner is an independently elected officer responsible for billing and collecting property taxes on behalf of Fulton County and all municipalities within the county that levy property taxes, as well as processing motor vehicle registrations on behalf of the State of Georgia. The current Tax Commissioner is Arthur E. Ferdinand, a long-serving officer who was re-elected in November 2024.[27]
Solicitor General
The Fulton County Solicitor General is an independently elected officer who prosecutes misdemeanor criminal cases in the State Court of Fulton County. The current Solicitor General is Keith Gammage, re-elected in November 2024.[24]
Core regional services
Following the completion of full incorporation by 2021, Fulton County government's operational mandate became focused exclusively on county-wide and state-mandated regional services rather than local municipal services.[3]
Courts and judicial administration
Fulton County hosts one of the largest and most active court systems in the southeastern United States, comprising the Superior Court of Fulton County (general felony and civil jurisdiction), the State Court (misdemeanor criminal cases and civil claims), the Probate Court, the Magistrate Court, and the Juvenile Court. The county funds and provides physical facilities, support staff, and administrative infrastructure for these courts. Judges on each court are elected separately in nonpartisan elections. The Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts manages all official filings and records for the superior and magistrate courts.[28]
Detention and the Fulton County Jail
The Fulton County Jail, administered by the Sheriff's Office, is the county's primary pretrial and sentenced detention facility. In January 2025, Fulton County entered into a consent agreement with the United States Department of Justice to address constitutional violations identified at the facility, mandating reforms including improved safety from violence, adequate medical and mental health care, improved staffing and supervision, and sanitary living conditions.[29] Compliance with the federal consent decree became a central budget and operational priority for the county beginning in fiscal year 2026.[30]
Public health and behavioral health
The Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness administers public health programs, communicable disease surveillance, clinical health services, and environmental health programs countywide. The county separately operates a behavioral health system through the Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, which provides mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, crisis stabilization, residential services, and developmental disability supports across the county regardless of municipal jurisdiction.[31]
Social services
The Fulton County Department of Community Development and Human Services delivers social services to residents, including programs for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families experiencing poverty. The county also administers the Fulton Fresh mobile market program, which brings fresh produce access to food desert areas within the county.[32]
Arts and library services
The Fulton County Arts and Libraries department funds and administers the Fulton County Public Library System, operates branch libraries throughout the county (including in incorporated cities under service agreements), and manages arts programming and cultural initiatives. In fiscal year 2026, the county budgeted approximately $60.9 million for the Arts and Libraries strategic area.[33]
Voter registration and elections
The Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections administers voter registration rolls, manages polling locations, recruits and trains poll workers, and conducts all county, state, and federal elections within Fulton County, under the oversight of the five-member Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections. Fulton County conducts all state primary, general, and runoff elections within its borders, including the 2026 general election scheduled for November 3, 2026.[34]
Property tax administration
Property tax assessment in Fulton County is performed by the Fulton County Board of Assessors, an independent appointed body that establishes the fair market value of real and personal property within the county. The Tax Commissioner then bills and collects property taxes based on these assessments and the millage rates set by the Board of Commissioners and applicable municipalities. Annual Notices of Assessment are mailed to all property owners and made available online.[35]
Water and sewer services
Fulton County operates a water treatment and distribution system and a wastewater treatment system serving portions of the county not served by the City of Atlanta's water system or other municipal providers. A $500 million water treatment infrastructure expansion, combined with a $580 million countywide transportation investment authorized through the county's first Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax for transportation (TSPLOST), represents among the county's largest capital investments in recent decades.[17]
Departments and agencies
Fulton County Government is organized into more than 40 departments and agencies, serving residents across the county.[36] Departments reporting to the County Manager are distinct from the independently elected constitutional offices (District Attorney, Sheriff, Tax Commissioner, Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts, and Solicitor General), which operate outside the Manager's administrative chain of command.[37]
The following departments and agencies are administered under the Office of the County Manager:[38]
| Department / Agency | Primary function |
|---|---|
| Animal Services | Animal care and control, adoptions, and licensing |
| Arts and Culture | Arts programming, Contracts for Services grants, and cultural initiatives |
| Atlanta Fulton Emergency Management Agency (AFEMA) | Emergency preparedness, response coordination, and disaster recovery |
| Office of the County Auditor | Independent internal audit and performance review of county operations |
| Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities | Mental health treatment, substance use disorder services, crisis stabilization, and developmental disability supports |
| Board of Assessors | Assessment of fair market value of real and personal property for tax purposes |
| Board of Health / Department of Public Health | Communicable disease surveillance, clinical health services, environmental health, and vital records |
| Child Attorney | Independent legal representation of children in judicial proceedings |
| Community Development | Housing programs, homeownership assistance, and community reinvestment |
| Cooperative Extension | University of Georgia Extension programs in agriculture, family, and consumer sciences |
| County Attorney | General legal counsel for Fulton County Government in all non-criminal matters |
| Customer Service | Centralized resident service and information coordination |
| Economic Development (Select Fulton) | Business recruitment, tax incentives, and workforce development programs |
| Facilities Management | Maintenance of county buildings, fleet management, and asset management |
| Finance | Budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, and debt management |
| Human Resources | Recruitment, benefits administration, workforce policy, and employee relations |
| Information Technology | Technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, and enterprise systems |
| Library System | Public library branches, digital resources, and programming |
| Office of the County Manager | Executive administration, policy implementation, and departmental oversight |
| Purchasing | Procurement of goods, services, and contracts for county operations |
| Registration and Elections | Voter registration, polling place administration, and election management |
| Water Resources | Drinking water treatment and distribution, and wastewater collection and treatment |
Governance and politics
Fulton County is among the most reliably Democratic counties in Georgia, having voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in the vast majority of elections over the past century. In 2020, Joe Biden carried Fulton County with approximately 72.6 percent of the vote.[13]
The Board of Commissioners reflects this alignment. As of 2025, Democrats hold five of the board's six filled seats; the two seats in north Fulton (Districts 1 and 2) are held by Republicans representing the more affluent northern suburban communities. The chairmanship has been held by Democrat Robb Pitts since December 2017.[13]
The county's political identity is shaped by the tension between its geographically and socioeconomically diverse constituencies: the dense, predominantly Democratic urban core centered on Atlanta; the predominantly Republican, affluent northern suburbs; and the predominantly Democratic, majority-Black communities of south Fulton County. The cityhood movement largely resolved service-delivery tensions at the local level, but the county commission remains the arena where inter-regional fiscal disagreements over the allocation of county resources periodically surface.[3]
Facilities
The Fulton County Government Center, at 141 Pryor Street SW in Atlanta, is the primary seat of county government, housing the Board of Commissioners chambers, the County Manager's offices, and various administrative departments. The Fulton County Courthouse, at 136 Pryor Street SW, is the principal judicial facility and also houses the Clerk of Superior Court. The county also operates multiple regional service centers, health clinics, library branches, and administrative facilities throughout its territory.[39]
See also
- Fulton County, Georgia
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners
- Fani Willis
- Sandy Springs, Georgia
- South Fulton, Georgia
- Atlanta, Georgia
References
- ↑ "Fulton County". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Governance". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Fulton County first in Georgia to relinquish city services". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. July 3, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Governance". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Fulton County". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton County". Atlanta Regional Commission. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "City History". City of Sandy Springs. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Urban Rebirth: Sandy Springs". Georgia Trend. January 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton County". KnowAtlanta. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Will Atlanta or South Fulton get Fulton's last unincorporated property?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 23, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "South Fulton gets Fulton Industrial, spells end for unincorporated land". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 13, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 "Board of Commissioners". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Longtime Fulton Commission chairman Robb Pitts is headed to runoff". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 21, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Robb Pitts". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton County Commissioner Resigns". Rough Draft Atlanta. March 20, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Government of Fulton County, Georgia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 "County Manager". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "County Manager and Team". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Georgia's County Governments". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "District Attorney". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fani Willis wins reelection as Fulton County district attorney". Atlanta News First. November 6, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Sheriff's Office". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Sheriff Patrick Labat". Fulton County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 "Municipal elections in Fulton County, Georgia (2024)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton County Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts". Fulton County Clerk's Office. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Meet Clerk Ché Alexander". Fulton County Clerk of Superior Court. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton sheriff, tax commissioner, county commission races draw primary rivalries". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 8, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Governance". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "FY 2026 Proposed Budget" (PDF). Fulton County Government. November 15, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "FY 2026 Proposed Budget" (PDF). Fulton County Government. November 15, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton County Departments". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton County Government". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "FY 2026 Proposed Budget" (PDF). Fulton County Government. November 15, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Government of Fulton County, Georgia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton County Government". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Organizational Chart". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Georgia's County Governments". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton County Departments". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Fulton County Government Center". Fulton County Government. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
External links
- Official website of Fulton County Government
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners
- Fulton County District Attorney's Office
- Fulton County Sheriff's Office
- Fulton County Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts
- Government of Fulton County, Georgia – Ballotpedia
Municipalities and communities of Fulton County, Georgia, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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