Reporters come from two three local newspapers: The Athens Daily News and Banner Herald (or the Dailies). These papers are part of the William Morris chain of papers and generally present the point of view of a business establishment type of conservatism; the Athens Observer, which was once the alternative weekly published by 60s progressives and protesters, has in the last few years switched to being the voice of a more insurgent conservatism. And the Flagpole, an arts and music oriented alternative weekly that generally chooses to cover a few stories in depth rather than report on all the local news. ;

The Mayor of Athens-Clarke County is both the Mayor of the City-County and the Chair of Commission. The Mayor has a number of responsiblities (e.g., for budget preparation) and powers (e.g., to appoint the Attorney, the Manager, and the Auditor) that are over and above those of a regular commissioner. The Mayor does not vote on matters before the commission unless there is a tie. However, the Mayor can veto a resolution that has been passed, and it takes seven votes (out of ten) to override that veto. 

The seating for the commission may appear random. However, it is designed to insure that when new commissioners come on board that they will be seated by an experienced commissioner.