▁representing ▁districts ▁ 1 - 4 ▁Post ▁ 2 ▁representing ▁districts ▁ 5 - 8 ▁Post ▁ 3 ▁representing ▁districts ▁ 9 - 1 2 ▁ ▁The ▁entire ▁sl ate ▁is ▁elected ▁for ▁four - year ▁terms ▁in ▁off - year ▁elections ▁( 2 0 0 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁etc .). ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁Atlanta ' s ▁w ard ▁system ▁was ▁changed ▁from ▁a ▁b ic amer al ▁body ▁of ▁council men ▁representing ▁W ards ▁and ▁three ▁city wide ▁( at - large ) ▁al der men ▁to ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁six ▁city wide ▁al der men ▁with ▁a ▁Vice - May or ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Ald erm en . ▁This ▁elimin ated ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁the ▁w ards . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁a ▁new ▁char ter ▁was ▁passed ▁which ▁shift ed ▁the ▁city ▁to ▁a ▁district ▁system ▁and ▁took ▁effect ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁The ▁chief ▁architect ▁of ▁that ▁char ter ▁was ▁Grace ▁Town s ▁Hamilton ▁with ▁the ▁purpose ▁ ▁to ▁more ▁equ it ably ▁represent ▁the ▁changing ▁ra cial ▁compos ure ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁city ' s ▁first ▁Black ▁mayor , ▁May n ard ▁Jackson , ▁taking ▁office . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁reform ulation , ▁the ▁Vice - May or ▁( and ▁Board ▁of ▁Ald erm en ▁president ) ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁the