About 80 percent of the Marietta City Council agreed with 80 percent of those voting in November that Marietta should set term limits for elected officials. The vote was 6-1 with Councilman Philip Goldstein opposed to changing the city charter - a move also opposed by the Georgia General Assembly during this session.
The mayor and City Council members will be limited to serving three consecutive terms of four years each. Since the referendum was nonbinding by Marietta voters, city officials did not have to take any action.
During the public hearing, only one resident appeared and spoke in opposition, Larry Wills, saying the charter change “targets one council member,” meaning Goldstein who has served on the Council continuously since 1980.
Speaking by phone during the meeting with no explanation given for his absence by a city spokeswoman, Mayor Steve Tumlin said, “I’m still firm in my belief that we should do this.”
Agreeing, Councilman Grif Chalfant said, “I think it’s appropriate for me to vote with 80 percent of the Marietta residents.”
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