Poll: Should Snellville's Mayor Lose Powers?
In a 4-2 vote, Snellville City Council voted this week to move forward with a plan to reduce the mayor's powers to appoint a city attorney.
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For weeks now, several members of city council have been particularly peeved with Mayor Kelly Kautz.
Last night, the council voted to do something about that. No, they aren't discrediting the election, but they do want to relieve Kautz's powers to appoint a city attorney.
It was a 4-2 vote to amend the charter, with Dave Emanuel, Diane Krause, Tom Witts and Bobby Howard voting for the resolution. Kautz and Councilman Mike Sabbagh were in opposition.
The specific section of the charter that the city council wants to revise is 3.12. It reads:
"The mayor shall appoint a city attorney, together with such assistant city attorneys as may be authorized, and shall provide for the payment of such attorney or attorneys for services rendered to the city. The city attorney shall be responsible for providing the representation and defense of the city in all litigation in which the city is a party; may be the prosecuting officer in the municipal court; shall attend the meetings of the city council as directed; shall advise the city council, mayor, and other officers and employees of the city concerning legal aspects of the city's affairs; and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him or her by virtue of his or her position as city attorney."
It's important to note that significant changes of the charter cannot be done without legislative approval. In this case, council is seeking action by the General Assembly.
It's the end of the 2011-2012 session, which means it could be next year before anyone hears about this again.
Sometimes, changes of the charter can be done through what is called "home rule," in which council makes changes without legislators. Sometimes referendums are sought in these cases, and citizens get the chance to vote.
In 2005, the city made changes to the mayor's powers through "home rule," but those changes were "defective" said Tony Powell, previous permanent counsel for Snellville.
In 2010, the city had to reverse itself, but revoking the power of the mayor was never something that could be done by the council alone anyhow, Powell said.
If changed, the amended powers of the mayor would apply not only to Kautz, but any other mayor in the future. (That is until and unless council wants to change this again and is successful.)
We hope to follow up with responses from the council today or tomorrow.
In the meantime, what do you think Snellville? Take our poll.
Grant
3:02 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012
Considering the abject failure of the two appointments she attempted to make (one that was within her powers the other which was clearly OUTSIDE her power) it seems obvious , though shameful, that the council has to step in and see to it that the City continues to operate in the absence of a capable Mayor . It's clear Kautz fails to understand her role and is apparently incapable of doing those things required of her position in the interest of the citizens of Snellville.
Certainly a sad state of affairs.
angie
6:11 pm on Thursday, March 8, 2012
No matter what Ms.Kautz does it's not Barbara making decisions. Give it up, Kelly won the election she is our Mayor. Make Snellville proud and stop acting like spoiled brats. She knows her role and whats required of her. She is doing a great job so far.
Dave Emanuel
3:24 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012
Unfortunately, the whole tone of this article is misleading, and the poll is absolute folly. The intent of the change is not to strip power from the mayor, but to ensure that all members of Council are able to participate in the City Attorney selection process. The City Attorney is hired to serve the best interests of the citizens and in order to do that, he works with all members of Council. Having those members involved in the selection process is the best way to assure that a productive attorney-council relationship evolves. We have already experienced the unprecedented problems that can arise when a City Attorney is unilaterally appointed.
Joy L. Woodson
5:02 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012
The bottom line is still the same, any changes related to this would reduce the mayor's powers. Also, no Patch polls are scientific. Just another way for people to interact.
Dave Emanuel
5:57 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012
That's incorrect. The mayor still maintains the power to make the appointment, but with Council approval being required, it simply can't be a unilateral decision. In either case, the right way to make appointments is for the mayor to discuss the candidates with the Council and evaluate each member's comments. That was not done in the case of Mr. Oberman, but it was done in the case of Mr. Tallant. The mayor narrowed the selection down to two highly qualified candidates, told the council that there were pluses and minuses to each candidate and then made a selection. As far as I know, every member of the council is pleased with that selection and would have voted in favor of Mr. Tallant had they had the option to do so. It's easy to achieve consensus when you make proper decisions.
Mark S
6:11 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012
It seems to me that the Council wants strengthen the democratic process. If the Mayor would find ways to work with the Council instead of around the Council, maybe the City of Snellvile could the get the citizen's business accomplished. I am glad to see the process works and that major decisions are approved by majority vote.
Morgan Wright
8:46 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Why are you blaming the Mayor? She has already extended the "olive branch", but the Council and their cronies are hell bent on obstructing her every step of the way. What Snellville needs are new Councillors, new ideas, new attitude.
Marian Copeland
6:28 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012
I agree with Mark S. Council persons Howard, Krause, and Emmanuel along with Mayor Pro Tem Witts are doing the hard work of keeping democratic principles alive in Snellville and I appreciate the fact that they stick to there guns under the adversity that they face. i can't imagine being belittled and lied about meeting after meeting and still wanting to be there. They deserve our support, They not only have a thnkless job, but they have to deal with a school yard bully.
Morgan Wright
12:48 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012
I guess if you can't beat her at the polls then you strip her of her powers; this is dirty politics. Mayor Kautz is a good person who loves Snellville dearly, but the clique that has a strangle hold on Snellville is now putting that same strangle hold on the mayor. I wish you all would wake up and realize that you are short-changing the people of Snellville and we are tired of it.
Jim Burton
8:56 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
I wish the individuals who voted for this change to answer a question. Why was it “okay” for our previous mayor to select our city attorney and not the current one? What has changed?
Could it be that the current mayor is not playing along with what the council wants because she is actually trying to interpret the City Charter as it was intended?
Or is it because she has previously tried to save the city the expense of litigation by certain council members who want to make changes without following proper due process? We have a precedent for this one. In a recent instance that comes to mind - we had an attempt by the council to vote for allowing Sunday alcohol sales without following the required referendum process whereby allowing the residents to make the choice (we know how this initially legally impacted the city)?
Or is that we now have a female Mayor and the council does not think that she can do the job as would a male? I hope this last one is not true because this could potentially open a whole another can of litigation type worms.
Dave Emanuel
9:32 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Jim- I think you know what has changed. Also, please explain why you think it was "okay" when the current mayor (who was then a Council member) voted in favor of keeping the charter revision that made the entire Council part of the selection process. If you're truly interested in the reasons that I and other Council members voted as we did, go to www.daveemanuel.wordpress.com (my blog) and read "Council Confidential 2". Better yet, contact me directly at demanuel@snellville.org. I'd be happy to meet with you at your convenience and personally discuss this issue. As for your last question, I'm almost at a loss for words (and as you've probably determined, that takes a lot). I can only speculate on your reasons for asking it. Gender has NEVER been an issue with members of this Council, and never will be. (You might also note that Council member Diane Krause is female.)
Wes Allen
7:48 am on Friday, March 2, 2012
Snellville politics seems very toxic. The Mayor has the duty to make the appointment ...she did her job. Wonder why it was so hard to find an Attorney to do the job?
Dave Emanuel
4:37 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012
Wes- I don't believe it was all that hard to find an attorney to do the job properly. I believe it was a matter of, shall we say, outside influence, that led to the previous debacle, Fortunately, I believe that phase of city operation is over. I have corresponded and spoken with Kevin Tallant, the newly appointed City Attorney, and there's no question in my mind that he will do an outstanding job.
Jim Burton
9:08 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
I agree with you Wes. Anyone with any level of observational skills, who was at the meeting where this fiasco tranpired was able to observe that D.C politics is alive and well in our council chambers in Snellville where one individual calls the shots. In this case, i noticed that when the vote for acceptance of the change to the Charter took place - three of the members did not acknowledge acceptance until the "alpha" rasied there hand. I have been advised by numerous folks I work with who live in other communities that Snellville has developed a negative reputation due to the changes made by our elected officials that have been made in our community the previous 8 or so years - this includes proposed changes. These changes have had negative impacts - raised taxes to fund pet projects that were/are not needed in this current economy. We do not need D.C. type of politics here!!!
Gary Murphy
1:57 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012
From the first City Council meeting, Mayor Kautz has created nothing but controversy. With her as well as future Mayors, there needs to be more oversight. Professionalism and integrity has to be involved in this somewhere.
Gary Murphy
2:15 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012
Thank you Council members Howard, Krause, Emmanuel, and Witts for your Outstanding representation of our citizens. I can't say enough about how much I appreciate your ethics.
Dave Emanuel
4:44 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012
Thank you for the kind words, Gary. Please don't ever hesitate to contact me or my fellow council members with any question or comment-- or even complaint-- that you may have. Citizen involvement is a vital component of effective government and I always welcome the opportunity to learn of and discuss any subject within the realm of city government.
Susan Chappelear
4:50 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012
Many thanks to Council members Emanuel, Howard and Krause and Mayor Pro Tom WItts. There is no doubt that their goal is to move Snellville forward!
Dave Emanuel
4:48 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012
Morgan Wright- I find your comment a bit disconcerting, and I don't believe you have a clear picture of the situation, which I would like to discuss with you personally. Please contact me at your convenience. My e-mail address is- demanuel@snellville.org
Jim Burton
9:26 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012
We have a problem where our city’s rule of law has been, & is being, changed to favor those who have the reins of power at the time of the change. This appears to have been done without regard to how the change will affect the residents. This current change is not right. It perpetuates a precedence whereby allowing future officials to make change the without any restrictions. We have a couple alpha-dog-types who want more control than what I believe the intent of the original Charter drafters wanted to grant them.
It is time for a committee of citizens, elected officials, and constitutional type attorneys to come together and re-look at our current Charter and in order to make it a strong, enforceable document that can stand the test of time. And of course to ensure that it cannot be change by the few.
Frank Gallick
11:46 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Who are the alpha dogs and what are they trying to change, Jim. I can't agree with more attorneys though. DC is full of "attorneys" and look at the mess they have us in.
Jim Burton
1:24 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Frank - the only reason I added attorneys (ones that have a true knowledge of Constitution law) to the list for a committee re-look at our Charter is so that we can ensure that any recommended changes would be legal so as to prevent further litigation costs.
Bobby Howard
6:51 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
How do other Cities in Gwinnett Choose City Attorney
Suwanee:
The city council shall appoint a city attorney, together with such assistant city attorneys as may be authorized, and shall provide for the payment of such attorney or attorneys for services rendered to the city. The city attorney shall be responsible for representing and defending the city in all litigation in which the city is a party, shall be the prosecuting officer in the municipal court, shall attend the meetings of the council as directed, shall advise the city council, mayor, and other officers and employees of the city concerning legal aspects of the city's affairs, and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him or her by virtue of his or her position as city attorney.
Bobby Howard
6:54 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
How do other Cities in Gwinnett Choose City Attorney
GRAYSON:
The council shall appoint a city attorney, together with assistant city attorneys as may be authorized, who shall not be a councilmember, and shall provide for the payment of such attorney or attorneys for services rendered to the city. The city attorney shall be responsible for representing and defending the city in all litigation in which the city is a party, may be the prosecuting officer in the municipal court, shall attend the meetings of the council as directed, shall advise the city council, mayor, and other officers or employees of the city concerning legal aspects of the city's affairs, and shall perform such other duties as may be required by virtue of the position as city attorney.
Bobby Howard
6:54 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
How do other Cities in Gwinnett Choose City Attorney
LILBURN:
The city council shall appoint a city attorney and shall provide for the payment of such attorney or attorneys for services rendered to the city. The city attorney shall be responsible for providing for the representation and defense of the city in all litigation in which the city is a party; may be the prosecuting officer in the municipal court; shall attend the meetings of the council as directed; shall advise the city council, mayor, and other officers and employees of the city concerning legal aspects of the city's affairs; and shall perform such other duties as may be required by virtue of the person's position as city attorney.
Bobby Howard
6:55 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
How do other Cities in Gwinnett Choose City Attorney
DULUTH:
The mayor and city council shall appoint a city attorney, who shall not be a councilmember, together with such assistant city attorneys as may be authorized, and shall provide for the payment of such attorney or attorneys for services rendered to the city. The city attorney shall be responsible for representing and defending the city in all litigation in which the city is a party, may be the prosecuting officer in the municipal court, shall attend the meetings of the council as directed, shall advise the city council, mayor, and other officers or employees of the city concerning legal aspects of the city's affairs, and shall perform such other duties as may be required by virtue of the position as city attorney.
Bobby Howard
6:55 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
How do other Cities in Gwinnett Choose City Attorney
NORCROSS:
The mayor and city council shall appoint a city attorney, together with such assistant city attorneys, as may be authorized by ordinance. The city council shall provide for the payment of such attorney or attorneys for services rendered to the city. The city attorney shall be responsible for representing and defending the city in all litigation in which the city is a party, may be the prosecuting officer in the municipal court, shall attend the meetings of the city council as directed, shall advise the mayor, city council and other officers and employees of the city concerning legal aspects of the city's affairs, and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him by virtue of his position as city attorney.
Bobby Howard
6:57 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
How do other Cities in Gwinnett Choose City Attorney
LOGANVILLE:
The city council shall appoint a city attorney, together with such assistant city attorneys as may be authorized, and shall provide for the payment of such attorney or attorneys for services rendered to the city. The city attorney shall be responsible for representing and defending the city in all litigation in which the city is a party; may be the prosecuting officer in the municipal court; shall attend the meetings of the council as directed; shall advise the city council, mayor, and other officers and employees of the city concerning legal aspects of the city's affairs; and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him or her by virtue of the position as city attorney.
Bobby Howard
6:57 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
How do other Cities in Gwinnett Choose City Attorney
LAWRENCEVILLE:
The city council shall appoint a city attorney, together with such assistant city attorneys as may be authorized, and shall provide for the payment of such attorney or attorneys for services rendered to the city. The city attorney shall be responsible for representing and defending the city in all litigation in which the city is a party, shall be the prosecuting officer in the municipal court, shall attend the meetings of the council as directed, shall advise the city council, mayor, and other officers and employees of the city concerning legal aspects of the city's affairs, and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him or her by virtue of his or her position as city attorney.
Jim Burton
9:24 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
How does the City of Atlanta select a City Attorney?
There shall be a city attorney who shall be appointed by the mayor subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the city council. The city attorney may be removed at the pleasure of the mayor or the city council by a three-fourths' vote of its membership.
If you go to the City of Atlanta website (http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?page=246) you will find that “the City Attorney is the chief legal advisor for the City of Atlanta and is the director of the Department of Law. As chief legal advisor for the City of Atlanta, the City Attorney is responsible for providing legal counsel to the Mayor and to the Atlanta City Council”.
Dave Emanuel
9:43 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Jim- I appreciate you refencing Atlanta's charter. That's a pretty strong indication that you agree with the majority of Snellville's Coouncil that the entire Council should be involved in the selection of the City Attorney.
Frank Gallick
11:51 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Changing Snellville to the same as all these Cities is the issue? What a bunch of anarchists. How dare those alpha dogs expect the Mayor here to do the same thing as these other Cities. Mr Burton has lost some credability with that last post of his. I think he verified what Mr Howard stated about all those other cities.
Ned Lane
11:54 am on Saturday, March 3, 2012
With regards to the results of the poll, based on no evidence whatsoever, I think a few people voted a bunch of times. There is no way 562 people voted this way. Any thinking individual can see this is an embarassing, weak attempt to create a false picture of public opinion. What kind of person would resort to such tactics?
Joy L. Woodson
12:23 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Hey Ned, we are aware of some hiccups in the polling mechanism. Thanks for the heads up.
Dave Emanuel
12:57 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
You're on to something, Ned. As I pointed out in a previous comment, this poll is absolute folly. This issue has absolutely nothing to do with stripping the mayor of any powers, and everything to do with involving the whole council in decisions that affect both the council members and the citizens. The question I have is, "Why would anyone not want the whole council involved in the selection of the City Attorney?"
Ned Lane
1:12 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
My point wasn't that there is a flaw in the Patch's system. It is obviously entertainment, not a real poll. The Patch poll said quite clearly it was not a scientific poll. My point was to question what could be the motivation behind someone spending the time to manipulate the poll. I'm also curious, what happened to Tony Powell, the last City Attorney.
Joy L. Woodson
2:46 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Thanks Ned! Yes, the poll always says that it is not scientific. I actually know a thing or two or three about scientific surveys. Went through very arduous courses on that in grad school. And, as I explained to Councilman Emanuel above all Patch polls are just another mechanism for people to interact with the site and each other. But, it is interesting what you bring up, Ned. Either way, sounds like it's something people are passionate about, one way or the other. Tony Powell is still around. We wrote a story on that regarding the council wanting its own attorney. His firm is the one the council chose. Something I have wondered, why wasn't this charter change brought up last year when Jerry Oberholtzer was mayor. I think it's an obvious question. Any takers on that?
Gail Moore
2:49 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Hoping somebody can fill in the blank here on that, and I haven't dug through last year's minutes, but I believe Jerry made the appointment and asked for council approval, so this wasn't an issue.
Joy L. Woodson
2:54 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Gail, that would seem the logical answer to my question. Thanks! If the former mayor did that, and I don't know (I'll have to look it up), then council wouldn't have felt left out of things as it seems they feel now. Maybe one of the folks in the comment section already knows, and can reference the specific motion for all of us... I'll look it up though. Or, maybe the council people who were there can tell us.
Gary Custar
6:42 am on Monday, March 5, 2012
Excerpts from a January 2010 newspaper article:
SNELLVILLE -- City council members followed Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer's recommendation Monday to appoint Tony Powell as the new city attorney.
Councilwoman Kelly Kautz was the only council member to vote against Powell's appointment, not because of a lack of confidence in his ability, but because she charged that city procedure was not followed. The councilwoman, an attorney herself, said that she did not know that Williams would not be re-appointed until Thursday.
Kautz said Monday that the city should have solicited sealed bids for city attorney and not rushed to appoint a new one without following procedure. [ed.-A procedure Kautz did not follow when she recently appointed Oberman]
Oberholtzer said that Powell's fees had been reviewed and "they seem reasonable."
Powell took his seat alongside Oberholtzer immediately following the 5-1 vote approving the appointment.
Gail Moore
3:00 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
I haven't found the nomination/appointment in the meeting minutes so far, so hopefully somebody can set things straight on that count. The preceding 2 years showed a government working cooperatively within itself and, from my experiences in the city, a citizenry that was thankful for the forward progress. And if folks seem a little bit upset or feel strongly at this time, I would say it might because they had gotten used to a functional administration. They didn't all agree on everything at the same time, but they did work cooperatively between themselves with great respect for one another. Being back in the media with negative overtones just doesn't bode well for businesses, citizens, tourism or folks who have interests in Snellville.
Tom Witts
9:15 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
As a member of the Council that approved Mr Powell I can clear this up. Tony was nominated by Mayor Oberholtzer, prior to the vote each member of council was asked to meet with the candidate. I know for a fact that council members Bender, Warner, Sabbagh, and myself met with Mr Powell. ( to the best of my knowledge then Councilwoman Kautz did not). Since 2004, the only Attorney appointed by the Mayor without Council's input was Mr. Oberman. Mayor Kautz never served with a City Attorney that she did not have a voice in appointing.
Tom Witts
Ned Lane
3:44 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
I like this new media. It is great to be able to see the actual e-mails and the actual comments of those involved, instead of seeing a filtered version. I would like to know why there was a need for a new City Attorney other than Tony Powell. As far as I know, last fall Mr Powell was the City Attorney and everything was rolling along fine. Did Mr Powell quit, creating a need to find a new city attorney quickly? Was his contract terminated, thereby causing a problem where previously one had not exisited? Was there some problem with Mr Powell's services, necessitating the City hiring a new attorney? Was he forced to quit by an uncomfortable working situation?
Joy L. Woodson
5:05 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
The answer I got to this question was, and I've written it somewhere here on Patch before, that Powell left because Mayor Kelly Kautz planned to appoint someone else. Why Mayor Kautz wanted someone else? Well, guess, only the mayor knows that. I'm still wondering why the planning director left so suddenly last year. That's even more of quandary to me than this one. We never did get a reason for his departure.
Tom Witts
9:15 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Mr Powell was told that his services were no longer required. I also understand that Mr Powell could not agree with the Mayor's interpretation of her ability to appoint the Mayor Pro Tem, believing that her interpretation was a violation of the City Charter.
There is much misinformation out there about all that has occurred over the past 4 months. I am reluctant to be the one who continuously explains or complains. It is counterproductive, and does nothing to advance the community pride in Snellville that I have worked so hard at for the past 2 years. I would just ask that citizens consider ALL the facts before judging those of us on Council who have been consistent in wanting nothing more than to advance Snellville and make it the place that we all want to call home with PRIDE. That cannot be accomplished if we speak about nothing but the feuds and negative press that a minority of our politicians and population seem to thrive on. I am committed to making Snellville a place where Everbody is PROUD to be Somebody and will deal with the detractors of that concept as I feel is appropriate or necessary.
Dave Emanuel
4:32 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Ned- how do you feel about an "Alpha Dog" answering your questions? If that's acceptable, let me know and I'll reply-- probably with a blog post because the questions you've raised deserve answers that consist of much more than just a few sentences.
Gail Moore
6:49 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Not sure what happened to the Planning Director, Joy. But the Gwinnett Daily Post said he received a 2 month's severance. Most times, folks don't get that if they quit. I applaud the administration for not politicizing his departure. Personnel matters are best left confidential.
Tom Witts
9:16 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Once again i was on council at the time that this occurred. This was a decision made by our City Manager without any input from the City Council as was falsefully reported by one member of council. I personally found about this from the media. When I asked the City manager why i ws not informed i was told that he felt it better that council was insulated from the decision. Our city Manager has sole authority over the hiring and firing of staff. I believe that is how it should be. The mayor and council cannot hold him 100% responsible for carrying out the policies and vision of the council unless he has 100% authority over staff.
Ned Lane
6:53 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Joy's answer makes sense. I'd be interested to hear your take, Dave. I like alpha dogs being chosen democratically. If you have 4 votes, feel free to bark. If you only have 2, votes feel free to bark, but you should not get off that short chain until you have 4 others agreeing with you.
Dave Emanuel
11:24 pm on Sunday, March 4, 2012
Alpha Dog response to Ned Lane's questions is available at http://bit.ly/AtghZJ
Gail Moore
7:37 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Councilman Witts, thanks for the input. I see that your comments are not showing up here; you might want to check with Joy to see if there's a problem. Thanks, all, for the straightforward discussion and answers and respectful tone of the day. I enjoyed it! And thanks, Joy, for providing this forum for us to get some things straightened out.
Joy L. Woodson
9:19 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
No problem, Gail... I also know that there is a bug in how Tom Witts' profile "talks" with the CMS (Content Management System) here. His and the mayor's are always disappearing. When I see it, I always go back in and approve them.
Gail Moore
10:21 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Awesome! I know these things can get goofy sometimes ...Thanks Joy!
Frank Gallick
10:37 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Mr Witts, as stated by Ms Moorw thank you for your input. Nothing is better than jearing it from someone who was actually present. I do agree with you that some of what is on here is conterproductive, but in the absence of facts rumors run rampant. Do not restrict telling us the truth in fear of being labeled. Those who know you will understand and those who haven't taken the time tyo listen to the truth just don't matter. Thank you for your service to your country and your City.
Gary Custar
9:24 am on Monday, March 5, 2012
I posted the following above, but thought it got lost in the middle and should be put here.
Excerpts from a January 2010 GDP newspaper article:
SNELLVILLE -- City council members followed Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer's recommendation Monday to appoint Tony Powell as the new city attorney.
Councilwoman Kelly Kautz was the only council member to vote against Powell's appointment, not because of a lack of confidence in his ability, but because she charged that city procedure was not followed. The councilwoman, an attorney herself, said that she did not know that Williams would not be re-appointed until Thursday.
Kautz said Monday that the city should have solicited sealed bids for city attorney and not rushed to appoint a new one without following procedure. [ed.-A procedure Kautz did not follow when she recently appointed Oberman]
Oberholtzer said that Powell's fees had been reviewed and "they seem reasonable."
Powell took his seat alongside Oberholtzer immediately following the 5-1 vote approving the appointment.
Gail Moore
11:13 am on Monday, March 5, 2012
Thanks, Gary! I couldn't find it specifically addressed in my cursory search of the minutes.
Ned Lane
11:45 am on Monday, March 5, 2012
Thank you Tom, Gary, Dave, Joy. This was highly informative. My conclusion is that a brand new, inexperienced mayor moved too quickly, without getting City Council backing. I hope the Mayor has learned from this experience, and will take into account in the future that she needs 4 votes to advance her agenda. I appreciate the council standing their ground, the solution that was found, and that the Mayor and the Council are all doing their best in an often thankless job,
Gary Custar
12:01 pm on Monday, March 5, 2012
De nada.
Joy L. Woodson
12:06 pm on Monday, March 5, 2012
Thanks, Ned!
Dave Emanuel
2:46 pm on Monday, March 5, 2012
In case you missed it above, Alpha Dog answers to Ned Lane's questions can be found at http://bit.ly/AtghZJ
Darla Dixon
1:47 pm on Tuesday, March 6, 2012
I believe Snellville is strong and will make it through this.
Grant
11:06 am on Thursday, March 8, 2012
Hilarious.
Gary , thanks for that interesting tidbit . Well done .
I think , though she is obviously painfully slow to understand , the eventually the Mayor might indeed "get it" and learn to actually work WITH council as opposed to intentionally and constantly instigating needless controversy in attempting to sidestep council in an attempt to push her agenda.
I'm guessing there will be a LOT of 4 - 2 votes before that finally sinks in .