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Clerical error at state stalls Villa Rica charter change and city manager plan; council divided
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Summary
City attorney told council a clerical error at the state level prevented a previously adopted charter amendment from being finalized, leaving the council divided over whether to reaffirm the change locally and whether to proceed with hiring a permanent city manager. Council agreed to continue discussion next week and resubmit the amendment to the state when the legislature resumes.
City Attorney Nicole Smith told the Villa Rica City Council that a clerical error at the state level prevented a charter amendment the council had approved from being finalized and sent to the governor for signature.
Smith said representatives working on the submission believed the materials had been handled correctly but that the package that reached the governor’s office contained an omission. She described the error as a failure in the transmittal process and said she and local legislators had been working to correct the filing. “He did not check what was handed to him,” Smith said, describing the representative’s account of the missed step in the submission process.
The error has immediate political and operational consequences because the amendment addressed the city manager hiring process and the distribution of powers between the mayor and council. Several council members expressed frustration and reluctance to move forward with hiring a permanent city manager while the charter’s legal status is unclear. “IIm frustrated, to say the least,” one council member said, adding they would not entertain consultant searches until the charter issue is definitively resolved.
Smith urged the council to consider publicly reaffirming the council’s prior vote to ensure the record reflects the council’s intent and to resubmit the amendment when the state legislative calendar allows. She said staff will resubmit the package in early 2027 and will keep the council informed. The council agreed to continue the discussion at the next regular meeting so the mayor and all council members can participate in public affirmations and next steps.
No binding change to staff hiring authority was made at the meeting; the council scheduled further discussion and recommended bringing the mayor into public statements intended to reaffirm the council's prior action.
