Greenville Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem Clash Over City Attorney Appointment

By JACK BAGLEY
At the first meeting of the Greenville City Council on January 6, the matter of annual city appointments initiated a sharp exchange between Mayor Josephine Mahone-Stargell and Mayor Pro Tem Mary Bray.
When the subject of appointing a City Attorney came up, Bray mentioned that she had nominated a particular attorney and moved that she be appointed. Councilman Darryl Ogletree mentioned that he also had two potential appointees that he was considering. Stargell then interrupted, saying Bray had apparently already hired her nominee, noting that the attorney said in a letter that she accepted the job offered. Stargell said Bray offered her a figure of $300 per hour, and the attorney accepted.
Bray countered by saying the City Council makes the appointment, but Stargell said she was not referring to the appointment but apparently to a job offer made by Bray.
Ogletree again mentioned the two attorneys he wanted considered, and suggested tabling the matter and placing the question on the agenda of the January work session. Then, he added, if needed a special called meeting of the Council could he held to appoint the attorney, in order to have that attorney present at the next scheduled meeting.
Bray made a motion to appoint her nominee, but Stargell said that since her candidate had not been “done properly,” the Council would move forward. Former Councilman Ryan Moore said that at the December 7 meeting, while he was still on the Council, a letter from Bray’s nominee was read in which she accepted the offer of $300 per hour, which he noted was $125 per hour more than the previous city attorney had been paid. Council had moved on from that attorney because they could not afford his rate, Moore said.
Ogletree then again moved that the question be tabled to the work session, but before Stargell could call for a vote Bray reminded her that she too had a motion on the table. Stargell called for a second on Bray’s motion to hire her attorney candidate, but no second was made. Ogletree’s motion to table the question then passed on a 3-0 vote with Bray abstaining.
Earlier in the meeting, Stargell and Bray had clashed about Council action regarding Bray Drive. Bray said that while the previous city attorney had said the issue was a civil one, the Council should vote on it, but Stargell said that the matter was not being brought up for a vote. Bray said it was not Stargell’s decision to make, and the two got into a brief argument regarding the question, talking over each other for a few moments and each accusing the other of being out of order. Stargell asked Bray, who said she knew the city charter, who the chairperson of the Council is, and Bray admitted it was the mayor. Stargell said no one is recognized unless the mayor recognizes that person, and “that is in the charter.” No action was taken on the Bray Drive matter.
The appointment of the city’s Municipal Judge also provided a moment of concern to the Council, as Judge George Martin advised that a change in Georgia law calls for city judges to be appointed to a minimum term of two years, and his appointment last year meant that he is now in the middle of his term. Bray asked if Martin must serve two years, or if the Council had options at the one-year mark. Martin replied that state law requires a term of at least two years. The mayor pro tem then noted Martin had already served ten years, but the judge said he had been appointed last year under the new law and thus had a two-year term.
The Council appointed Katrina Robinson to another term as City Clerk and Wayne Frazier to another term as Police Chief, and Bray was reappointed Mayor Pro Tem.