By now you are aware of the outcome of the Sky Valley municipal elections. Congratulations to the newly elected members of the Sky Valley City Council: Carey Sue Beasley, Beth Quarles Pence and Jesse Price. I look forward to working with them.
Now that the November 4 municipal elections are done, you’re probably wondering what’s next.
Here are the answers to a few questions floating around:
When will the new Mayor and City Council members be sworn in?
The City of Sky Valley’s codes and ordinances are in a MuniCode library. According to
Sec. 2.18, the mayor and newly elected councilmembers are to be sworn in at the first meeting of the year. After that, the president of the City Council is elected by a majority of the councilmembers, to serve for a one-year term. The president serves as mayor pro tem (although that term is not used) who “shall assume the duties and powers of the mayor upon the mayor’s disability or absence or upon the event of a vacancy in that office.”
The Mayor’s position is nonpartisan. Does this mean the mayor-elect (that’s me!) must relinquish the political post of Chairman of the Rabun County Republican Party?
No. Georgia’s election code (
Title 21, Chapter 2) does not prohibit political party officers from qualifying for or running in nonpartisan races. I pledged that I would take office representing all of Sky Valley, and it is my intention to do so. That said, I will remind folks that I said — several times — that I am a fiscal conservative. That is not a partisan stance, it is a philosophical one. I believe that voters and taxpayers deserve to keep as much of their hard-earned dollars as possible and that means minimizing government’s impact on your checkbook.
How long is the mayor’s term?
Two years.
What are the mayor’s duties?
The mayor is chief executive officer of the City Council, with duties listed at
Sec. 3.11. I encourage you to read the section in full; this is a summary below. Please note the difference between “shall” and “may” in legislative language. Basically, “shall” means “must” and “may” means “optional.”
Meetings: The mayor presides over meetings and calls special meetings. But the mayor votes only in the event of a tie. (The full City Council is five members. A quorum comprises three councilmembers. Essentially, a councilmember would have to be absent or recused for the mayor to break a tie.)
Responsibilities: The mayor is the official head of the City for the purpose of service of process and for ceremonial purposes, and is the official spokesperson for the City and its chief advocate of policy.
The mayor appoints all committees and committee chairpersons, subject to the approval of a majority of councilmembers.
Oversight: The mayor is responsible for the execution of all City laws and ordinances (sees they “are faithfully executed”). The mayor sees that all City funds are properly accounted for and that all revenues are properly and promptly collected. That means the buck, and the bucks, stop with the mayor.
Employment: The mayor authorizes (with the recommendation of the city manager), provisional employment of all officers, department heads, and employees of the City, subject to final approval by the City Council within 90 days of hire.
Obligations: The mayor shall have authority to bind the City by signing any contract, obligation, or other matter entered into and authorized by ordinance or appropriate (my shorthand) resolution of the City Council, and will fulfill such other executive and administrative duties the City council shall by ordinance establish.
I hope this helps. There are a few “etceteras” in the code that I left out, for brevity, which is why I suggest you read it yourself. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask me.
One response to “Elections are Done. What’s Next?”
Thank you, Benita! This is a very helpful summary!