South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau has decided not to seek re-election. In a city council meeting this week, Kamau announced that his State of the City address in May would serve as his "farewell address." He reminisced on his tenure as mayor, speaking on his community engagement, saying he spent his time in office "showing up at local events and meeting with constituents to hear about their issues." Kamau also spoke candidly about the financial hardships of his office's salary, disclosing that he had to sell his mother's house and temporarily live on food stamps, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
For the duration of his final seven months, he has chosen to significantly scale back, operating as a "part-time mayor," as highlighted in the same FOX 5 Atlanta report. Kamau drew a comparison to the financial struggles of many Americans, stating, "As a full-time mayor, I also represent about 2 out of 3 Americans for whom a $1,000 bill can mean a financial disaster." Kamau's last attempt to increase the mayoral salary to $85,000 from $47,000 as per South Fulton records, was made the previous year.
This decision comes amid controversies, including allegations of unauthorized city fund expenditures. Kamau had been accused of unauthorized use of his city purchase card, resulting in a 20-day trip to Ghana with approximately $26,000 spent without the city's approval, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. Responding to these allegations, the city council had limited his access to the city hall and other restrictions, although these measures have been eased after consultation with the city's attorney. Furthermore, the council previously adopted a policy to ensure all international travel be approved by a majority of its members.
In a separate account by Atlanta News First, Councilwoman Carmalitha Gumbs confirmed Kamau's decision, expressing gratitude for his service. "Last night, Mayor Khalid Kamau announced he will not seek re-election," Gumbs said. "I want to thank Mayor Khalid for his contributions to the City of South Fulton, from his time as a councilmember to his service as mayor." Kamau, also referred to as "Mayor Kobi," has had his share of headlines, recently addressing why he bought a pool table and his travels to Africa at a town hall.
With Kamau's exit from the electoral contest, several candidates have lined up to run for the mayoral position, including Gumbs, who recently launched her campaign with the claim that she is "the readiest and most prepared to assume the mayor's office and lead out city into it's next chapter," according to Atlanta News First. The race also includes former mayor Bill Edwards and Navy veteran Kelvin J. Davis.
