McCarty, Brown propose term limits for county commission

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They were just sworn in last week and will not attend their first Fayette County Commission meeting until 3:30 p.m. Jan. 5. But commissioners Allen McCarty and Steve Brown have inserted an item in the agenda that — if approved by a majority vote of the board — would impose terms limits on board members and another that would require a 24-hour public notice on issues that would require a board vote.

On the topic of term limits, Brown in a weekend email said he and McCarty included an item on the Jan. 5 agenda that would limit the service of commissioners to two consecutive terms.

Only one member of the current County Commission has served more than two terms. Post 2 Commissioner Herb Frady of Peachtree City is in his fifth four-year term, with this month marking the beginning of his 18th year of consecutive service on the board, having first been elected in 1992. Frady is the longest serving county commissioner in Fayette County history.

The second agenda item calls for a new policy that would prohibit commissioners from voting on any issue not on an agenda and that has not been made available to the public and the news media at least 24-hours in advance.

“The latter agenda item is absolutely vital if we are going to ensure open government,” Brown said. “Some fiduciary votes came out of nowhere over the past couple of years with no advance warning.”

The Fayette County Commission will meet Jan. 5 at the county offices at 3:30 p.m.