Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Change topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Villa Rica council debates resolution to ask state to restore council role in selecting city manager
Summary
Council members debated a resolution asking the legislative delegation to revert a 2024 charter change so the council (rather than the mayor alone) would choose the city manager. Supporters said council oversight restores balance; others urged clearer language about the mayor’s role and warned against rushing the request.
Villa Rica — Council members on Tuesday reviewed a draft resolution asking the city’s legislative delegation to revert a 2024 change to the city charter that shifted sole selection of the city manager to the mayor.
Mister Mecklen, who presented the item, said the delegation told staff it would only consider legislation if the council first passed a unanimously approved city resolution asking for the change. "Unless they received a resolution from the city that was passed unanimously, they weren't even gonna consider it," Mecklen said.
Several council members urged prompt action. "I would be in support, complete support of this resolution," one council member said, arguing that reverting the change would restore the council’s historical role in hiring and firing the city manager.
The mayor warned that the charter language must be precise. She said she does not object to returning selection authority to the council in principle but asked that the resolution explicitly allow the mayor to present candidates for the council’s consideration. "I would like to consider the idea of the mayor presenting the candidate and or candidates," she said. Other members pressed for wording that would make the practice and the charter consistent in both hiring and dismissal scenarios.
City Attorney Mecklen recommended the council not place the resolution on the consent agenda because differences of opinion remained. He suggested holding a public vote next Tuesday so the mayor could exercise any veto power, explaining that a consent placement could short‑circuit full council debate.
Council members agreed staff should refine the draft language and bring an updated resolution back at the next regular meeting. Mecklen and staff said the legislative calendar does not impose an immediate deadline but urged the council to decide soon because the General Assembly’s schedule and crossover deadlines can affect timing.
Next steps: staff will revise the resolution language to address members’ concerns about the mayor’s role and the clarity of hiring/dismissal procedures and return the item for council action at the Tuesday meeting.
