The Stonecrest City Council elected Councilwoman Tara Graves as mayor pro tem on Jan. 2, voting unanimously after a nomination from Councilwoman Alicia Washington and a second.

During the nomination period, Councilmember Terry Fye paid tribute to outgoing Mayor Pro Tem George Turner, describing Turner as a steadying influence and thanking him for his service. With no other nominations, the council closed nominations, put the name of Tara Graves forward and approved the election 5–0.

After she was elected, Graves addressed the council and guests, thanking the body and saying she planned to make resolving the city’s outstanding annual audits a priority. She named the audits for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 and called for them to be completed expeditiously to bring financial clarity for residents.

The council took no recorded vote changing audit processes at the meeting; Graves framed the effort as a leadership priority she will pursue in the council’s work going forward.