their choice. The Department of Justice recorded objections to the city of LaGrange changes to election methods in October 1993 and December 1994. The 1993 objection related to the use of two at-large seats in a mixed city council plan with four single-member districts; the 1994 objection related to the use of one at-large seat in a mixed city council plan with two "super-districts" and four single-member districts. From 1997, more city council seats were established in LaGrange. Municipal elections are held in odd-numbered years. Councilman Mark Mitchell currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem. A special election will be held on March 21, 2023 to determine the next Mayor of LaGrange. The mayor and all council members are elected for four-year terms on a nonpartisan basis. The city council hires a full-time city manager, who oversees daily operations of city departments. In January 2017, Police Chief Louis M. Dekmar apologized publicly for his department's failure in 1940 to protect a 16-year-old black youth, who was lynched. Few law enforcement officials have ever apologized for such events. Mayor Jim Thornton also apologized and stressed the city's commitment to improving conditions. "I sincerely regret and denounce the role our Police Department played in Austin's lynching, both through our action and our inaction," Chief Dekmar told a crowd at a traditionally African-American church. "And for that, I'm profoundly sorry. It should never have happened." Amenities Descendants of the Callaway family, wealthy planters in the antebellum years, established a philanthropic foundation. They have invested in the city, and contributed to developing important cultural elements of the city. As a result, LaGrange has amenities not usually found in a city of its size. These include "two art galleries, a symphony orchestra, a ballet company, an opera company, an airport, a television station, an archives, two colleges (LaGrange College and West Georgia Technical College), and thirteen recreational centers with facilities for every sport." Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 United States census, there were 30,858 people, 11,246 households, and 6,862 families residing in the city. 2019 As of the 2019 U.S. Census estimate, there were 30,305 people in 11,233 households residing in the city. The population density was 1033 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 48.0% Black, 44.5% White, 4.7% Hispanic/Latino, 2.5% Asian only, 1.8% mixed race, and 0.3% other. The median household income was $30,653. Education Troup County School District