Tuesday evening’s work session saw the Baldwin City Council push back on moving forward with the City of Civility resolution and City of Ethics resolution and ordinance. Both initiatives, advocated by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), aim to foster open, civil, and transparent governance within the city.
Once a city adopts both initiatives and fulfills the prescribed criteria, it becomes eligible for certification as a City of Civility and a City of Ethics, gaining recognition from GMA.
Discussion of certification
Mayor Stephanie Almagno initiated the discussion, beginning with the City of Civility. She outlined GMA’s definition, emphasizing the importance of elected bodies treating each other, staff, and the public with civility to promote respect and facilitate open communication, even during disagreements.
Mayor Almagno asserted that the city already embodies the principles of civility, and codifying this status would garner statewide recognition. Councilwoman Alice Venter concurred, stating, “I think it’s a great idea.”
Council member Maarten Venter inquired if other cities in the county had adopted these measures. Chief Administrative Officer Emily Woodmaster informed the council that both Cornelia and Demorest had already adopted these initiatives.
Mayor Almagno stressed that the city’s current practices align with the principles of civility, and formalizing it serves as a conscious reminder.
Opposition to certification
Despite the positive points for the city to move forward, Councilman Venter expressed his opposition, “When I have the government telling me I have to be civil or I have to be this or that, I start kicking back. I don’t think it’s our place to force this down or codify this. We’re reasonable. Trust me, if I wasn’t civil, people would know.”
In his opinion, he felt that he has good ethics and the council has good ethics. Venter continued, “It irks me. This feels like overreach. I don’t see the purpose of it.” He expressed that they didn’t need something telling grown adults how to behave but instead maybe telling grown adults how their children should behave.
Councilwoman Venter reassured that the civility initiative is a resolution, not a rulebook with punitive measures.
Rules of Conduct
Referencing the Ethics Ordinance, Council member Erik Keith, pointed out a provision allowing public reprimand or censure by the city council for violations. “Any person violating any provision in this article is subject to public reprimand or censure by the city council or request for resignation by the city council.”
With that, Councilwoman Venter exclaimed, “Oh nope! That’s enough for me, sorry! They’re not going to censure me.”
Woodmaster clarified that Keith’s reference was to the Ethics Ordinance, a distinct difference from the City of Civility, which is resolved by a non-binding resolution.
Councilman Venter persisted in his opposition, viewing it as an infringement on freedom of speech. He emphasized the importance of preserving individual freedoms, even if it means expressing unpopular opinions.
Habersham County Commissioner Jimmy Tench suggested consulting the Georgia Constitution for insights on ethics, a point supported by City Attorney Jack Samuels. Samuels explained the existence of a state code of ethics and underscored the need for local governments to enact policies for enforcement.
Discussion to continue
Samuels asked the council if both initiatives were dead or did they want to discuss them separately. Councilman Venter explained that he felt that the council had checks and balances and didn’t see the reason for going forward.
Keith stated that he would like to have more of an opportunity for the council to dig into the matter since they hadn’t had time to read what was before them and make a decision in 20 minutes.
Almagno reminded the council that she was not asking for a decision but for discussion, the reason for the work session.
Addressing the ethics initiative, Samuels outlined the process, emphasizing the role of local policies in enforcing state laws. To become a City of Ethics, the city must pass a resolution expressing the intent and subsequently adopt an ethics ordinance meeting GMA’s minimum standards.
Digest it further
After hearing Samuel’s explanation, Councilman Venter stated, “The civility thing is DOA for me, but the ethics one, I will have to read about it and digest it a little bit.”
Almagno sought a consensus on proceeding with either initiative, with a consensus favoring more information gathering for the City of Ethics initiative. However, no consensus emerged on the City of Civility initiative. The council opted to defer the decision, allowing for additional deliberation and understanding before moving forward with either initiative.
