Though it was somewhat overshadowed by other judicial concerns, the reappointment of Municipal Court Judge Mitch Powell was approved by the City Council of Peachtree City at its March 2 meeting.

The proposed reappointment of Webb, Stuckey & Lindsey as city attorney also was on the agenda, but no vote was taken due to an ethics complaint recently filed with the city concerning senior partner Jim Webb.

Powell's reappointment was not a slam dunk, however, despite his glowing recommendation from city staff and council members.

“I feel we owe it to our citizens to have a judge of Mr. Powell's experience and proven track record to serve them,” said city manager Jim Basinger in his written recommendation.

Powell, who works with the Newnan firm of Glover & Davis, has served the city since 1992.

Mayor Bob Lenox agreed, calling Powell a “judge in a million.” Councilwoman Annie McMenamin made a motion to approve Powell's reappointment, and she was seconded by Councilwoman Carol Fritz.

But in the ensuing discussion phase, Councilman Dan Tennant questioned the price the city would be paying for Powell's services.

After being paid $95 per hour for a total of about $27,000 last year, Powell set his fee at $120 per hour in the most recent bid for the bench, Basinger said.

Tennant asked if any of the other five candidates were interviewed, and Basinger said they were not, because city staff was most interested in retaining Powell and did not see anything in the other applicants' resumes to warrant an interview.

While agreeing with the overall assessment of Powell's services, Tennant said that the city is “all over the map” on pricing, and if there are other candidates who can be retained for less, they should be considered.

“I think as stewards of the people's money, we owe it to the people of Peachtree City,” he said, adding that the city should not automatically take the lowest bid, but should investigate all of its options.

Tennant specifically pointed out Judge Sharon Pierce, who already serves the municipal courts of Fayetteville and Tyrone and has received glowing reviews from officials in both of those municipalities. Her bid of $65 per hour is considerably less than Powell's, Tennant said, and her preference for splitting the court into separate sessions for arraignments and trials would save the city more money.

But Tennant was unable to sway any of his peers, and Powell was approved 4-1.

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