(The Center Square) – The Atlanta City Council is considering a resolution that would create a Mayor’s Office of Veterans and Military Affairs.
The Finance/Executive Committee unanimously approved the resolution at its Tuesday afternoon meeting. The resolution asks Mayor Andre Dickens to establish the office before Nov. 11, 2027. The resolution does not state how the office would be funded and does not provide an estimated cost for the office. The full council will consider the resolution at its Nov. 16 meeting.
Councilman Wayne Martin said a dedicated veterans office is a tremendous opportunity for the city.
“I stand behind identifying funding,” Martin said during the meeting. “I think there’s federal funding.”
Councilman Jason Dozier, a veteran, is the prime sponsor of the resolution.
“We’re giving the mayor’s office a year to figure this out,” Dozier said. “We’ll have another budget cycle coming up next year and my hope is that we can find dedicated funding to support these operations long term.”
The Center Square reached out to the Atlanta City Council communications department for an interview but did not receive a response before publication.
Dozier said Atlanta has 16,000 veterans. Programs are already in place to help them, but they are spread across multiple departments and organizations, he said.
“This legislation would help coordinate those efforts and ensure veterans and their families have a clear place to turn for support,” Dozier said. “From housing and employment to entrepreneurship and access to critical services, we have an opportunity to strengthen partnerships with the VA, veteran-serving nonprofits, and other agencies while making better use of the resources already available in our community.”
Gabrielle Slade, chief of staff for Mayor Dickens, said the city’s human resources department already assists veterans.
“We are exploring areas that we are already kind of doing the work so we can put a more concerted effort to connect into the groups you mentioned,” Slade said.
New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Houston and Jacksonville have similar offices for veterans, according to Dozier.
“We should not only join that pantheon of cities who lead in veteran work, but I also think this gives us the opportunity to be a leader and the best city in America for military veterans,” Dozier said.