WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A University of Georgia study says Warner Robins is the only mid-sized Georgia city without a city manager or an administrator.
It's also the only one where city employees could be fired by either the mayor or city council.
Warner Robins state Rep. Heath Clark says the study highlights flaws in the city charter that have caused "disorder and confusion."
He said the city's leaders, its voters and their state legislators should start the process of fixing the city charter.
Earlier this year, Clark and other legislators asked UGA's Carl Vinson Institute of Government to analyze Warner Robins' charter and compare it to those in other Georgia cities.
Warner Robins is unique
Clark released that report on Wednesday.
It compared Warner Robins' charter to nine other cities' -- ranging from Dunwoody, the smallest, to Sandy Springs, the biggest.
The Vinson Institute doesn't make any recommendation to Warner Robins.
But it says the International City's power structure and the conflict over hiring and firing employees makes it unique among its peers.
"It is very unusual for both the executive and legislative branch to have, independently of each other, the authority to appoint or remove the same city departments," the report said. "It is not hard to imagine that a department head serving while disagreements between a mayor and city council are taking place would feel particularly vulnerable."
Due to the ambiguity, the report said, the Vinson Institute could not classify Warner Robins as either a "strong mayor" or "strong council" form of government.
A city manager or administrator would provide "breathing room" for departments to make decisions without political pressure, the report said.
Professional government groups claim that the city-manager system "leads to better, more professional and less political local government," the report said.
"When no one knows who is in charge, everyone is..."
Clark went further, saying "We can only imagine the extreme pressure this puts on our city’s employees to please members of council and the mayor, knowing that either could impact their livelihood."
"When no one knows who is in charge, everyone is and no one is, all at the same time," Clark wrote.
Clark would not comment on what charter changes he supports, but said the county's state-legislative delegation stands ready to make any changes that the city's leaders and voters request.
'Confusion and inefficiencies'
He said he and other legislators have heard for years about "confusion and inefficiencies" in Warner Robins government.
Under state law, any changes in the city's charter must be approved by the General Assembly.
He said after Tuesday's election, city officials and the public should begin meetings about charter changes.
Clark says those meetings should be public and live-streamed so any changes can be discussed in the light of day.
Warner Robins' council approved a city-adminstrator position in 2017, but the post has never been filled.
You can read the full report below:
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