Extracted from "Valdsota City Council Letter" Dated May 4, 2010, Page 3, question Number #5b.
Mayor John Fretti and Council Response: "When a new charter is adopted by the General Assembly, the previous charter is replaced and repealed in its entirety. You would have to define MENTALITY. The old charter is the historical first that created the city of Valdosta and WILL BE DISPLAYED AS SUCH."
The Old Valdosta City Charter of 1860 was DISPLAYED on the wall in Valdosta City Hall leading into the Municipal Court Room of Judge Edwards. That is until it was relunctantly removed in MARCH 2004. Morover several (WHITE) council members voted against its removal. We can only ask Why?
It read as follows: In Article 100, Section XI, it read: THAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL SHALL PASS ALL PROPER AND NECESSARY LAWS AND ORDINANCES FOR THE CONTROL OF SLAVES AND FREE PERSONS OF COLOR IN SAID TOWN AND SUPPRESS AND ABATE ALL NUISANCES ARRIVING FROM HOGS, DOGS, HORSES, OR OTHER STOCK STRAYING AT LARGE IN SAID TOWN, OR FROM OTHER CAUSES.”
Yet our Mayor stated in his letter on May 4, 2010. "The old charter is the historic first that created the city of VALDOSTA and will be DISPLAYED as SUCH. END! Just though local citizens might want to know! G.B.R.
I attended the Valdosta City School Board of Education Meeting last night August 29, 2011. Local citizens asked why there were no television stations at this important School Consolidation Meeting. I counted 136 people in attendance at this public meeting in the State of Georgia. For well over two years; it has been repeatedly highlighted before the "Valdosta City School Board of Education." But this two year old problem is still going on; and now citizens to be heard has been pushed to the end of the agenda! Therefore, it seem that little to no real attention has been taken to resolve the problem. A Georgia Metro City should have more than 30 seats for citizens. No Metro City in America should have citizens sitting on the floor and aligned along both hallways, standing in the lobby, and sitting outside on the steps and ground; without even a speaker to hear what is going on at a public meeting---in the State of Georgia in 2011. It seems that the old 1860 Charter Mentality is alive and well in Title Town USA. This problem can only go away by real attention being given to this people problem. Even Quitman, Georgia a much smaller town have 42 seats for the general public to sit and observe what goes on at their public meetings.
ReplyDeleteWell, we get what we deserve; it seem that citizens in here are locked down; or up in this Ole 1860 Time Zone of no return. And we the people; just love being treated reversely!