Five days before a city council election, Ringgold, Ga., Mayor Nick Millwood criticized several current elected officials, saying they have fought against his efforts to make the local government more open.
“I have taken my job as your voice at city hall seriously,” he wrote on his website Thursday night, “and held nothing back about what is happening in regards to projects, policy decisions, public notices, and politics. To say this has rocked the boat would be an understatement.”
On Tuesday, Ringgold voters will fill two city council seats. Incumbents Jake Haynes and Randall Franks are running, as are outsiders Kelly Bomar and Rhonda Swaney. The seats are not tied to districts. Of the four candidates, the two top vote getters will sit on the council.
Millwood’s post specifically criticized Franks, who during a May meeting accused the mayor of sabotaging the city’s ability to attract new business. The fight stemmed from an issue that seemingly had nothing to do with economic development: A tweak to the city charter.
The council asked the local state delegation to approve some minor changes through the Legislature last year, such as clarifying how many council members needed to be present to establish a quorum. But in Atlanta, state Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, added another change, making it more difficult for the council to fire City Manager Dan Wright.