The Stockbridge City Council is seeking new legal representation. According to a staff report, there was a motion by consensus at the council’s Jan. 11 regular meeting not to renew the contract of Michael Williams, who has served seven years as the city’s attorney. City manager Randy Knighton was tasked with overseeing a transition with the option of possibly bringing the position in-house.

The vote was 3-1-1 with LaKeisha Gantt opposed and John Blount abstaining. Two appointments related to Municipal Court were approved unanimously, with Matthew McCord appointed judge and Julie Kert appointed solicitor. Both were sworn in at the council meeting by Mayor Anthony Ford.

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A man rides a bicycle in the rain along 10th Street in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)