Top Stories & Breaking News

Statham takes first step to weaken mayor, give council more power

Wednesday, May 22. 2019
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The Statham City Council unanimously approved amendments to the city charter Tuesday night that would lessen the mayor’s authority and give the council more power.
Before the amendments are approved, the city must advertise the changes for three weeks, city attorney Thomas Mitchell said.
A final vote could occur at the June 18 council meeting.
The council has mentioned the changes but has not discussed them in detail publicly. The issue has been briefly mentioned at a few council meetings. The council talked about, but never did, go through the charter to make changes.
Mitchell prepared the amendments. He also prepared a legislative change in January that allowed for providing more power to the council.
The changes would require city council approval to hire or fire a city administrator, city clerk, city attorney and department heads. Now the mayor hires and fires all of those positions.
Dwight McCormic, who was elected in November 2017, advocated for the changes. He said at the work session last week that the city would “never be hamstrung” again as it had been in the past.
See more in the May 22 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.

Winder council approves financing agreement for projects

Wednesday, May 22. 2019
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The City of Winder is planning to move forward with a trio of projects through a financing agreement with the Georgia Municipal Association, though a pair of city council members still have reservations about two of the projects.
During a called meeting last Thursday, the council voted in favor of the agreement, in which the municipal association would purchase properties from the city to complete the Jackson Street block redevelopment project, make upgrades to Jug Tavern Park, and construct a records and administrative building by the city’s new public works facility off Miles Patrick Road — all according to the city’s plans and specifications — and then sell the properties back to the city.
The three projects are projected to cost roughly $6 million combined, and the city will borrow up to $3.5 million over the next 10 years at a 2-percent interest rate while paying it back with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) proceeds.
See more in the May 22 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
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