Varnell councilwoman’s controversial actions to block a vote ruled legal

Varnell City Attorney Terry Miller and Mayor Anthony Hulsey walk into the Varnell City Gym before a canceled council meeting Tuesday, July 25, 2017, in Varnell, Ga. The Varnell City Council were meeting to decide whether or not to eliminate its police department, but there weren't enough council members in attendance for a quorum. Varnell City Attorney Terry Miller and Mayor Anthony Hulsey walk into the Varnell City Gym before a canceled council meeting Tuesday, July 25, 2017, in Varnell, Ga. The Varnell City Council were meeting to decide whether or not to eliminate its police department, but there weren't enough council members in attendance for a quorum.

By Tyler Jett August 17, 2017 3 min read

Varnell City Councilwoman Ashlee Godfrey’s abrupt exit from Tuesday night’s city council meeting was legal.

In the middle of the meeting, Godfrey tried to block a vote by Councilmen Jan Pourquoi and David Owens to put a referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot. The referendum would have asked voters if they wanted to eliminate the police department. It also asks if they want to eliminate their 2.4 mills of property taxes.

Godfrey said the referendum should not tie the two issues together. Pourquoi said it was necessary, that people should know their property taxes will drop as a result of cutting the $300,000-a-year department. The deadline to put any referendum on the ballot is Sept. 2.

On Tuesday, Godfrey first tried to block the vote by telling Pourquoi and Owens they legally could not pass a resolution like that in one meeting. She said they could only introduce the item Tuesday, then vote on it at the next meeting – when it would be too late to actually put the referendum on the ballot.

Asked why that was the case, Godfrey referred to a section of the city charter. Then, City Attorney Terry Miller explained the rule had been changed in 1994.