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Stonecrest council approves revised agenda, adds Day of Prayer discussion after member request; attorney warns against using city resources
Summary
The City Council voted 4-0 to approve a modified agenda that moves two first‑read items to the regular council meeting and adds a discussion about a proposed Day of Prayer. The city attorney advised any faith event be privately funded to avoid violating the Establishment Clause.
The Stonecrest City Council on March 10 approved an amended work‑session agenda and added a discussion item proposing a city Day of Prayer.
Councilmembers voted 4‑0 to adopt the agenda with modifications after Mayor Jasmine Cabo and Mayor Pro Tem George Turner asked staff to move two ordinance first‑read items to the regular council meeting so staff could prepare. Councilwoman Tammy Grimes asked that a Day of Prayer be added as a discussion item; the council put it on the work‑session agenda and approved the overall changes.
The request for a Day of Prayer came from Councilwoman Tammy Grimes, who said she had spoken with a local pastor and wanted the city to recognize a day — she offered March 30 or April 6 as possible dates — and circulate a proclamation to faith institutions in Stonecrest. Grimes said no city funds would be used and that she was prepared to help distribute proclamations.
City Attorney Denmark advised the council against using city resources or staff for an event that would promote religion. Denmark cited the Establishment Clause and the First Amendment, saying the city may not take action that appears to endorse religion and recommended any event be entirely privately funded and privately organized if the council wants it to proceed. He described a prior example where a mayor’s prayer breakfast was permitted only after all costs and promotion were handled privately.
The council’s vote to adopt the modified agenda was recorded as 4‑0, with District 1 noted as absent. The modification included moving two first‑read ordinance items to the regular meeting and renaming a financial policy item to “financial management policy revisions.”
Council members said staff will return the moved items to the next regular council meeting when the appropriate department staff will be available to present them. The city attorney said privately organized proclamations and events typically avoid constitutional risk.
The council did not take formal action on a Day of Prayer proclamation at the work session; the discussion produced direction to pursue privately funded options and to keep the matter off city‑funded programming unless legal constraints change.
