Citizens of Swainsboro,
As the President of the Emanuel County Branch of the NAACP I would like to take this opportunity to weigh in on the current state of our municipal government in the city of Swainsboro. It is most unfortunate that something as simple as placing an item as innocuous as a presidential Executive Order (13985) on the meeting agenda, could result in the state of affairs our city government finds itself embroiled in. We now have a seeming impasse that only people of goodwill can break.
The Emanuel County Branch is going on record in support of The American Rescue Plan Act and the three council persons trying to implement it. It has the best of intentions behind it, and therefore we appeal to all our elected officials to work together for knowledge, understanding and a spirit of co-operation for the good of our city. It is foreign to me, as a former council person in this city, how we could ever wind up where we are. Democratic and Parliamentary Procedures exist to prevent things like this, no matter how strong opinions on either side may be.
Items such as ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) must be allowed on the table for debate, discussion, and resolution. A vote must be taken as with any other actionable item on the agenda. Vote up or down but there must be a vote. This cannot happen if meetings are cut short citing quorum status when other votes are taken with the same quorum status. Council persons are elected to represent not just their constituency but also the entire city especially when items of city-wide concern or controversy may arise.
Council members must stand up and represent, not create scenarios that make it impossible to conduct the business of the people who elected them. Questions of quorum are easily answered by consulting Robert’s Rules of Order. Now we find ourselves locked in legal proceedings over allegations of failure to follow the City Charter and Parliamentary Procedure. Again, the Emanuel County NAACP urges taking whatever actions are required to get past this, learn from it, and get about the people’s business.
Donald K. Jenkins, President
NAACP Branch 1599
Oct. 7, 2021
