Wednesday, January 7, 2004
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Wednesday, January 7, 2004 |
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‘We’re a council of change’ By J. FRANK LYNCH Judi-ann Rutherford, who quit her job as office manager of the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater on Friday so she could legally accept her position on the City Council three days later, was unanimously elected mayor pro tem by the other councilmen Monday night, just moments after taking the council oath of office. But it almost didn’t happen. When Mayor Steve Brown presented the item of business calling for the election of the mayor pro-tem, who essentially substitutes for the mayor in the event he is absent from city business, the council was silent. Stuart Kourajian, also newly sworn in and making his first official motion, took the lead and nominated Rutherford, who appeared surprised but remained silent. Kourajian’s motion died for lack of a second. Councilman Murray Weed then questioned whether the city needed a Mayor Pro-Tem at all. “We’ve got a pretty healthy and dependable mayor,” Weed said, referring to Brown. “Do we really need this position? The fact that nobody seems to want it suggests so. I know I don’t want it.” Brown started to ask Weed if he were willing to make a motion to that effect, when Councilman Steve Rapson interrupted. “I have a question,” Rapson said, turning to Rutherford sitting on his left. “Judi-ann, do you want to be mayor pro-tem?” The no-nonsense Rutherford shrugged and replied, “Sure, I’ll gladly accept it, if you elect me.” “Well, in that case, I make a motion,” Weed quickly jumped in, changing his course. Rapson seconded and the appointment passed, 4-0. Rutherford took her second oath of the night, the one for mayor pro-tem, with Brown administering. Later, Rapson confessed he hesitated to second Kourajian’s original motion to elect Rutherford only because he didn’t know if she would welcome the job. The post was previously held by Dan Tennant, who was defeated for his Post 2 seat on the council by Kourajian. MUSICAL CHAIRS: Rutherford and Weed were sitting in new spots on the council platform Monday night, with Weed now at the far left-hand side and Rutherford on the far-right. That’s a bit confusing, since in the past the council sat in order of their elected posts: Posts 1 and 2 on the left, and 3 and 4 on the right with the mayor stationed in the middle. Technically, Weed represents Post 4 and Rutherford Post 1. But the “post” designations, Rutherford pointed out after the meeting, mean nothing as far as who each of the four elected officials represent. “Where is the post? Show me the post,” she joked with attendees. And who was responsible for the switcheroo? Again, Rutherford took the credit, explaining that she called up Mayor Brown Monday and suggested a “visual” shuffling was in order. “Think about it,” she said. “If Stuart and I had just sat in Dan (Tennant) and Annie’s (McMenamin) old seats, nothing would have changed, not even gender. We needed to make the impression that we’re a council of change.” Rutherford blew off a suggestion that the new seating chart was just an attempt to “break up” Rapson and Murray, who previously sat next to one another to the right of the mayor, and who are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the new Peachtree City Tourism Association Board of Directors. “It just looks better,” she said. KIND REGARDS: Mitch Powell served as municipal judge in Peachtree City for 12 years until he was passed over for reappointment in December after his fee proposal for 2004 was too high. Monday night, he was honored for his long tenure, which Mayor Brown said was completed without one complaint from anyone coming before his court. “That’s just remarkable,” Brown declared, to which Powell replied: “In those same years, I also saw another remarkable thing: I never had anyone on a city council or at City Hall attempt to interfere with the court, like you sometimes hear about, and I’m thankful for that.” Powell, who is also the attorney for Coweta County, will be replaced as the city’s chief judge by Eric Maxwell.
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