ATLANTA — The Atlanta city council has passed a resolution that urges governments to expedite their hiring procedures to help people who have been impacted by recent layoffs. State and local governments have been urged to help get recently laid off employees back into the workforce.

The legislation passed in a 14-1 vote, with Council member Liliana Bakhtiari as the sole opponent. The proposal had gone through weeks of proposed changes by City Council members. Some have been outwardly supportive of a sweeping overhaul of the watchdog’s power while others question the intent of the legislation.