In just a matter of minutes Tuesday morning, newly re-elected Macon-Bibb County Mayor Pro Tem Seth Clark did what the job requires — sit in for the mayor in his absence.
Mayor Lester Miller had to leave the Committee of the Whole meeting during a workshop on the GIS or Geographic Information Systems, and Clark moved to the center of the dais and chaired the meeting until adjourning.
On a scant agenda for the first morning committee meeting since last summer, the mayor pro tem election was at the top of the list.
Miller told commissioners that he would accept a nomination from the floor and take a vote. If that person did not get the required five-vote majority, he would accept another nomination and take another vote.
As Commissioner Stanley Stewart raised his hand, Miller said Commissioner Bill Howell had already turned on his microphone light and was first in line.
Howell nominated Clark, who received the five votes needed.
After the meeting, Stewart said he had planned to nominate Valerie Wynn, who expressed interest in serving in that position.
“She’s the senior commissioner and it would have been good to have female representation,” Stewart said.
Commissioners Howell, Clark, Raymond Wilder, Brendalyn Bailey and Joey Hulett all voted for Clark with Stewart, Paul Bronson, Donice Bryant and Wynn voting no.
After the election, Miller adjourned the Committee of the Whole meeting so that he and Clark could choose the third member of the Committee on Committees.
Clark nominated Bailey and Miller agreed to her appointment.
Under the county charter, the Committee on Committees exists to create and abolish committees and appoint members to serve on those committees.
The three-member committee agreed to continue with Miller’s plan from four years ago that abolished the former standing committees such as public safety, appropriations and properties in favor of a Committee of the Whole that includes all commissioners.
The Committee on Committees does not have any other regularly scheduled meetings or duties through the legislative term.
The Board of Commissioners regularly meets the first and third Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m., with Committee of the Whole having the option to meet the second and fourth Tuesdays, though those meetings have been rare as of late.
Miller usually reserves those Tuesdays for work sessions and occasional field trips.
All of the commissioners also attend the Pre-Commission meeting before the board meetings where ordinances and resolutions typically have a first vote. The final approval is given during the board meeting through a consent agenda of items that received unanimous approval in the pre-meeting.
If an item has opposition or needs further explanation for the public’s benefit, the mayor will typically pull that item off the consent agenda for a separate vote.
Macon-Bibb County’s consolidated government was built around the “strong mayor” concept, meaning the mayor is the chief executive of the county who is responsible for the execution of its laws and policies and state and federal laws, where applicable.
The chief executive also is responsible for conducting the meetings in an orderly fashion by enforcing the rules adopted by the Commission.
Although the rules are not spelled out in the charter, it does say “the mayor shall be impartial and conduct the meetings in a fair manner.”
The next Pre-Commission meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Jan. 21 with the Board of Commissioners meeting following at 6 p.m.
Here are the highlights from social media of items approved during Tuesday’s meeting:
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at [email protected] or 478-301-2976.
