Decatur residents ask for a more public selection process
Though no criticism was aimed at Decatur’s choice of Bill Bolling as temporary city-commission replacement for Kecia Cunningham, several residents including longtime activist Paul Jones called for a more public selection process.
Nominating and approving Bolling on Tuesday took at most two minutes, and Bolling was the only nominee. After the meeting Patti Garrett, the remaining elected commissioner from Decatur’s south side, told the AJC that the city’s charter doesn’t delineate a specific procedure. It only stipulates that commissioners have to name a replacement.
“I had people who contacted me asking me to consider them or someone else,” she said. “I’m not saying I was contacted by dozens of people, but it was a pretty good number.”
Garrett and Mayor Jim Baskett took “leads” in the procedure, she said, and that it was her idea to nominate Bolling. Northside Commissioners Fred Boykin and Scott Drake didn’t participate in formal discussions since that would’ve been a quorum and required a called meeting. Garrett added that she wouldn’t disclose the names of those expressing interest in the post because “I don’t have their permission.”
