Commissioners debate proposed limits on county staff support for commissioners’ town halls; item held for rewrite
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Summary
Vice Chair Ellis proposed a policy restricting county External Affairs/DREAM staff participation to four town halls per commissioner per year and limiting such events to weekdays and county facilities. The measure drew intense debate over public access, staff workload, and campaign season concerns; commissioners accepted friendly edits and agreed to hold the item so staff can produce written language reflecting amendments.
The Fulton County Board considered a resolution sponsored by Vice Chair Bob Ellis and Commissioner Bridget Thorne that would set limits on the use of county staff—including External Affairs and DREAM—supporting commissioners’ town halls. The original attachment limited a commissioner to four town halls using county staff per year and specified weekday, county‑facility locations; opponents said the language would restrict accessibility for working residents and interfere with longstanding constituent outreach.
Supporters said the intent is modest: to protect limited county communications staff resources, avoid the appearance of county staff aiding campaign activity, and ensure consistent promotion and support for official county events. Opponents called the language overly prescriptive and said it would shrink public access. Commissioners worked through amendments on the floor: the accepted clarifying edits would make limits apply only to External Affairs and DREAM staff (not all county staff), allow weeknights in addition to weekdays, and explicitly permit commissioners to use their district staff for events at any time or location.
Because the changes were significant, Commissioner Barrett moved (and colleagues seconded) to hold the item until the amended ordinance text can be reduced to writing. The chair accepted and the item will return with the clarified language at a future meeting.
Why it matters: The debate balanced constituents’ access to elected officials against use of limited county communications resources and concerns about mixing official duties with campaign activities; the board chose to pause and document the compromise language before voting.