CLARKESVILLE – The Clarkesville City Council has given its blessing on final changes to a draft revision of the city charter.
During its work session Tuesday night, the council worked with Daniel Brown of the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission to make additional changes and clarifications to the draft document.
The changes could reduce the final document by as many as 10 to 15 pages, while modernizing the nearly 200-year-old city charter.
Martin used a model document from the Georgia Municipal Association to frame the new draft charter, taking into account language from recent cities Milton and Johns Creek, as well as revisions to Cornelia’s city charter.
During the discussion, Martin went over eight major changes to the following sections of the document:
- Terms and qualifications for office;
- Added language on abstaining from voting on an agenda item;
- Set procedure for emergency meetings;
- Added language about the role and appointment of the city manager;
- Adjusted a section concerning fines;
- Added creation of an impartial panel to the procedures for removal;
- Adjusted the franchises section of the document to reflect current practice; and
- Added language for severability.
Additionally, the council discussed the millage rate section of the charter and decided it is in the best interest of the city to leave the current method of taxation in place, but upwardly adjust the cap to cover the next few decades.
After going over a punch list of sorts from Councilman Steven Ward to correct errors and address concerns, the council arrived at final revisions that Martin will make to the document.
“I think Daniel from the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission will have a final copy to us within the month,” said City Manager Barbara Kesler. “Then we will contact our [state] representative, Terry Rogers, and see where we go from there. I think it would have to go into the legislative session in 2020 would be the earliest we could get it in there, if that’s the process that we need to go through. I have to check and make sure we go through all the processes that we need to.”
