Mableton council members waste time trying to block other members from attending state convention

With the new government of Mableton having been sworn in just a month ago, many in the community realize that they have elected people to lead our new government with little to no prior government experience. Recognizing this weakness and wanting to help move everyone past the stage of unfamiliarity in government, many of our newly elected officials wanted to take full advantage of the Georgia Municipal Association’s (GMA) convention in Savannah.

GMA describes their event as “… an annual convention featuring engaging sessions and unrivaled training for city officials and local leaders from across the state. It also includes a trade show featuring products and services that improve the operations of cities to enhance the lives of their citizens.”

The majority council members believed that this was an important opportunity to obtain much needed training as well as gain information and insights on the role they have been elected to lead. Unfortunately, not all Mableton elected officials feel the same way.

Councilwoman Keisha Jeffcoat led the discussion and was succinct in her responses on why members should go to GMA saying: “It’s important for our City Council members to make sure that we have training so we are effective and efficient in the jobs that we need to do.” She pointed to them being able to take advantage of the training classes and interact with seasoned elected officials. 

Mayor Michael Owens explained that he placed the topic of attending GMA on the agenda to provide complete transparency, but reminded the council that the city charter already gives each council member a $3,000 stipend for expenses; $5,000 for the mayor. Attending GMA was optional while funding for travel, lodging, and expenses are paid out of each council member’s expense account.

Owens said, “Bringing this to a vote also shows the citizens that the majority of our council felt that it was important for us to develop, grow, and learn on behalf of the city. We are participating in efforts to learn how to become better elected officials and how to become a better city. We also want to continue to establish ourselves among our peers. That is our goal in attending this event that is only offered once per year.”

Unable to open their aperture to see or understand what they were fighting against, a colossal amount of time was wasted as some members of the Mableton City Council tried to block the Mayor and other council members from spending city funds to attend the GMA convention – whose focus included providing training to members of local governments. Councilwomen Herndon, Auch, and Oladapo each argued why Mabelton officials should not attend GMA. They maintained that this less expensive “basic” training session by GMA should be enough for them until the state mandated training next year.

Councilman Ron Davis offered comments saying he understood both sides of the argument. Pointing to the military for analysis, Davis said he would not want to go into battle with soldiers who had only attended basic training. “I’m not one who believes in spending money recklessly, but at the same time we’re at a critical juncture in starting this city. Noting that you get what you pay for, Davis said, “If we want this city to be what we really say we want it to be, it’s going to take a little more than just the basics.

Many listening to the back and forth were disappointed that three council members invested this level of time and energy into trying to prevent others from attending an industry conference. They claimed concerns regarding cost, but given that we are a new city, Mableton was being offered substantial discounts to attend.

Residents who care about the city reported they are concerned about the pettiness of the discussion over a discounted total rate of $3,000 for all four council members attending the training. GMA had already made it clear the city would not be billed until the city is in a position to pay their bills.  Others are now wondering what these same council members will do when faced with large financial determinations in the range of $30 thousand to $30 million. With little to no training how will they tackle complex financial matters on  behalf of Mableton citizens?

Or is there another reason why these three council members who are ardent supporters of de-annexation of Mableton voted no on spending such a small amount of money. In fact, several of the attendees at last week’s meeting  are strongholds of the de-annexation movement.

So, perhaps the three ”no votes” had nothing to do with training, but everything to do with the lawsuit which seeks to dismantle the city Mableton.

The three council members casting the no vote, Auch, Oladapo and Hearndon, are self professed de-annexers who have been waging war against Mableton since the November 2022 vote that made Mableton a city. Many believe the three are supportive of the recently filed lawsuit by their fellow de-annexers. They are simply lending their support by attempting to prevent the city from spending any funds. If they are in fact, supporting the lawsuit behind the scenes, their actions will present a serious ethical issue as members of the city council who swore to protect and support the city.  

Members voting no on getting training at GMA also rejected the need for administrative staff support during the first council meeting. They claimed it was unnecessary, but the irony is that these are the same folks who are getting on community sites to complain that meeting information is not being released to the public. A good administrative support person would alleviate that once and for all which the new city should do right away.

To keep informed about Mableton and until a website is up and running, Owens encourages residents to visit the Mableton page on the Cobb County government’s website, which is found at CobbCounty.org/Mableton.