Balfour considers way to break Snellville council impasses

The dog days of Snellville politics could be numbered — at least in one respect.

State Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) is exploring a change in the city’s charter that would bring an odd-number vote to the Snellville City Council — in keeping with most other cities in Gwinnett County, including Norcross, Duluth and Lawrenceville.

“In so much of government, you have an odd number. You have nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court, seven members of the state Supreme Court,” said Balfour. “There’s a reason there’s an odd number. You want elections to mean something.”

For Snellville residents, a change to the charter could help end the political logjams plaguing a City Council known more for acrimony than action.

Mayor Pro Tem Warren Auld plans to broach the subject at Monday’s meeting. “I want to see what the consensus is. Do we as a council determine this is a problem that needs to be addressed?”

In the past year, the six-member council has deadlocked, 3-3, in almost 10 recorded instances on issues ranging from a controversial crematory to meeting adjournments.

Perhaps more telling, the specter of a deadlock keeps some issues from even reaching a vote, Councilwoman Kelly Kautz said.

What happens when a measure ends in a tie? “Sometimes, we’ll try to bring it up later,” Kautz said. “Most of the time, it just dies.”

Balfour said Snellville residents are ready for a change. “Most people believe the even nature [of the City Council] doesn’t let things get done.”

Resident Cathryn Creasy, a regular fixture at City Hall, said all councils should have an odd number. “Otherwise, you can’t get anything done with a constant tying up and putting things off to the next meeting.”

Resident Marcy Pharris said council deadlocks mean “we’re not getting anything accomplished. If you look back over the last year and half, items are tabled because they can’t get the votes to pass something.”

Balfour says the deadlock can be averted in three ways: Add a council seat, subtract a council seat or limit the mayor’s vote to instances of a tie.

Such a change to the city’s charter requires legislative approval.

Balfour already has laid out his suggestions to Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer and other city leaders, and he hopes to hold a town hall meeting to gather input from residents, though no date has been set.

Auld said beyond the three options pitched by Balfour, there’s a fourth: leaving it the way it is. “In some cases, having gridlock means limiting government action, which sometimes can be a good thing for our citizens.”

As for the council’s penchant for dissension, Auld said there is “a positive to all the acrimony. The fighting is a sign of vibrancy. If we’re kicking, we must be alive.”

Snellville isn’t the only city in Gwinnett County with the potential for deadlocks. Suwanee has the same voting setup — with one notable distinction between the two governing bodies.

“They get along,” Auld said.