Abstention was unavoidable; city charter doesn't allow 'no' vote

Editor:

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I agree (with The News-Times' Dec. 21 editorial, "No more bad ideas from next door"); I hate it when someone abstains from voting. But unfortunately, the city of Grovetown's charter says that when a full quorum is present and there is a tie vote, the mayor can only vote "yes" in favor of the issue. It takes three affirmative votes to pass any legislation, but the mayor cannot vote "no."

I don't like this in our charter, and we have tried to have it changed in the past, but with no luck. I know it does not make any sense, because if the mayor is in favor of passing the legislation when there is a tie, all he has to do is vote "yes," and of course by not voting that is as good as a "no" vote. But, by the charter, the mayor can't vote "no." All he can do is not vote.

If I could have voted (on the mobile home ordinance) it would have been "no." The ordinance that we were looking at was to change what the age of a trailer must be when it is brought into the city. Two council members want those trailers to be no older than 5 years old, and the other two say it should be around 10 years old. I think five years would be a little too restrictive because of the cost of a five-year-old trailer.

Of course, what we have now is way out of line. The current ordinance says anything manufactured after 1976 can be brought into the city, and we all agree that has to be changed.

Thanks for keeping an eye on me. I need someone to help keep me straight.

Mayor George James

Grovetown