Votes at a glance: Cordele City Commission approves advisory contract, appointments and project submissions

The Cordele City Commission on Jan. 20 approved a slate of routine and policy actions, including a resolution to retain an outside audit‑readiness advisor and the submission of local street projects to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

In a voice vote the commission adopted a resolution to engage an advisory firm to provide monthly audit‑readiness reporting, staff training and liaison work with auditors. The arrangement was described during the meeting as beginning Feb. 1 at about $5,500 a month. The commission approved placing the formal resolution on the Feb. 3 agenda for finalization.

The commission also approved several appointments: Mayor Wesley Rainey was named to the River Valley Commission Council, and Commissioner Vestia Shepard was appointed as the city’s representative on the Board of Health. Two commissioners were nominated and approved to serve on the city land bank board.

On ordinances, the commission approved a second reading to amend section 6-49 of the Cordele City Code establishing a due date for unpaid business and occupation tax. Two other ordinances — reassigning tax‑collection responsibilities from the city clerk to the finance director and authorizing the finance director to issue certain assessments — were adopted on first reading and are scheduled for subsequent advertising and a second reading as required by state law.

The commission approved an intergovernmental agreement to formalize collaboration with the Chris County Sheriff’s Office and voted to submit a proposed list of street projects for ELME/LMIG funding to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Where vote counts were recorded, decisions were made by voice vote; the meeting transcript does not include detailed roll‑call tallies for each motion. The commission recessed into executive session later in the meeting and reconvened before adjourning at 11:55 a.m.