In a surprise move, the Stockbridge City Council voted Monday night to go back to state lawmakers to help city officials resolve an ongoing feud over attempts to change the Henry County city's charter.
At the center of the dispute: whether changing the charter would, in effect, weaken the mayor's power. The city now has a strong-mayor form of government, but some city officials want to expand the duties of the city administrator as part of the charter change.
The council was set to vote Monday on changing the charter but scrapped that idea in favor of reintroducing a piece of legislation aimed at getting it changed by the General Assembly. But any legislative isn't likely to come before next year, thus throwing the whole conflict into limbo.
Councilman Mark Alarcon introduced the resolution to the council, at which point, Mayor Lee Stuart remarked, "This is the first time I've seen this." Stuart then proceeded to have Alarcon read the resolution to the audience and then had it explained so people in attendance could understand that the issue would return to the General Assembly. The resolution was unanimously approved.
The move essentially preserved the mayor's strength, at least until the Legislature acts.
Some of the 70 people in attendance viewed the council's decision much like that of a stare-down contest.
“It came down to the City Council -- the people in favor of changing the charter -- blinked and realized there’s more support than they realized for Mayor Stuart,” said Tom Felcher, a dentist who lives in Stockbridge.
The legislation passed Monday calls on state lawmakers to pass a bill introduced earlier this year but "without substitution or amendment" so that Stockbridge's charter can be changed. The initial bill withered after changes were made to it. The council wants the state legislative counsel and the local delegation to help get it passed.
Friday, the attorney general's office said that Monday night's scheduled vote was improper and that the matter would be best resolved through the General Assembly.
"[Senate Bill 189] is still pending," said attorney Andy Welch, whose law firm represents Stockbridge. "That's what they'd sent. We're going to wait to see how that ultimately ends. If need be, it'll be resubmitted with the same charter amendment to the General Assembly for adoption."
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