Fulton County voters will choose half their county commissioners in the May 19 primary. Districts 1, 3, and 5 are up, plus the countywide commission chair, where incumbent Robb Pitts faces Democratic primary challenges from two sitting commissioners, Mo Ivory and Marvin Arrington Jr.
The seven-member Fulton County Commission oversees county operations including elections, public health, animal control, and the library system. It also funds the courts, the DA and public defender offices, the sheriff, and the county jail.
The chair sets the agenda and presides over meetings but has the same voting power as any other commissioner. For Fulton residents wondering what they're actually voting for, former county and city attorney Patrise Perkins-Hooker explains that the commission controls services in unincorporated areas and countywide functions, while the 15 cities within Fulton (including Atlanta) handle their own local services.
The race for chair could reshape Fulton County's leadership at a critical time for the region.
