Douglasville proclaims Municipal Court Clerk Week and celebrates Citizens Academy graduates

Mayor Rochelle Robinson opened the Douglasville City Council meeting on June 1 by presenting a proclamation recognizing June 8–12, 2026, as Municipal Court Clerk Week and thanking court staff for their service.

"We commend all municipal court clerks for their vital services," Robinson read as she listed court administrators and clerks being honored. Court Administrator Angie Cochran accepted the proclamation and said the court recently ran an amnesty program that helped more than 1,000 people reinstate their driver licenses so they could return to work.

Cochran said the amnesty initiative cleared license suspensions that often keep people from employment and that the court is preparing to adopt a new court‑management software to enable hands‑free payments and reduce paper records. "We're getting a new courtware system this year," Cochran said. "More technology, more handsfree pay, less paper."

Deputy City Manager Chelsea Jackson then presented the spring 2026 session of the Dose of Douglasville Citizens Academy. Jackson said the program, launched in 2017 and run twice yearly since 2021, is a 10‑week course that lets residents learn how city departments operate, meet staff, and practice budget exercises. The spring class had 15 participants and joins an alumni network of more than 200 graduates.

"If I can change one person's mind about local government, then Citizens Academy has done its job," Jackson said, describing sessions on finance, public safety, parks and recreation, and economic development.

Graduate Kata Kendrick, a downtown business owner and newly appointed member of the Keep Douglasville Beautiful board, told the council the academy deepened her appreciation for city work and gave her practical insight into civic processes. "What I didn't expect was the level of dedication, collaboration, and planning that goes into serving the residents of Douglasville every single day," Kendrick said.

The mayor and council called forward the graduates to receive certificates; a reception followed in the Douglasville Conference Center ballroom. The meeting then moved to routine agenda business and voice votes to adopt the agenda and approve minutes and the consent agenda.

The proclamation cites the Uniform Rules of Municipal Court and Georgia law as the procedural framework for municipal court operations and lists the court staff honored in the proclamation. The city will publish the list of named clerks and related materials in the official record.