Dear Editor,
I am running for Councilperson At-Large for Eatonton City Council. My opponent has been tutting about my associating this position with the title of Deputy Mayor (conventionally Mayor Pro-Tem). He says such an elected position does not exist. My take is that there’s more to this than meets the eye.
Contrary to hand-waving by incumbents, our city’s charter does not even mention the Mayor Pro-Tem. The charter is about 40 years out-of-date, still referring to city council members as “alderman” and stating all are elected at-large (citywide).
This arrangement was thrown out after a judge ruled it unconstitutional in a suit brought by Black residents (Bailey vs. Vining 1981), requiring the city to move to today’s mix of single and double-ward seats.
Aside from the mayor, only one at-large position remains, the one I’m contesting in November. My opponent has held this position – and the title of Mayor Pro-Tem (in plain language Deputy Mayor) – for so long nobody can remember how this title is designated.
Some of our elected officials claim our charter and ordinances spell things out, but I cannot find any such reference. The Mayor Pro-Tem title is awarded based on a city council vote, but there is no public documentation to back this up.
The position for which I am a candidate has multiple names: some use Councilman or Woman at large. The City’s announcement about qualifying for this year’s election used “Councilmember At-Large,” but this year’s ballot says, “Councilperson At-Large.”
Knocking on doors, I’ve found many residents remain unclear what “at-large” or “Mayor Pro-Tem” even means. I started using “Deputy Mayor” because that’s what makes sense to most people.
What also makes sense is that the sole at-large member of the city council is the logical person for Mayor Pro-Tem. Just as the mayor is elected citywide, it seems reasonable that Mayor Pro-Tem be elected the same way. It would be odd to have the Mayor Pro-Tem represent only part of the city.
Of course, this is consistent with the fact that the incumbent has been both Councilperson At-Large and Mayor Pro-Tem for most of this century.
This election is a great opportunity to bring all this confusion into the light. Let’s get Eatonton’s charter updated, properly codify terminology and protocol, and stop using antiquated language many voters do not even understand.
Richard Garrett, Candidate for Councilperson At-Large