By Becky Holland
COCHRAN — Who has the authority to do what at Cochran City Hall?
The answer begins with the city charter.
A municipal charter is the legal document that establishes the structure of a city government and outlines the powers, duties and responsibilities of its elected and appointed officials.
The City of Cochran’s current charter was adopted by the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Senate in 2019 as House Bill 1185. The document is identified as a bill “AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE.”
The charter used for this report was located on the City of Cochran’s official website after The Ledger was directed to it as the most current charter available.
The charter can be viewed here:
The document addresses the structure of Cochran’s government, including the powers and duties of the City Council, mayor, city manager and other city officials. It also addresses elections, ordinances, budgeting, administrative affairs and other areas of city government.
In practical terms, the charter serves as a framework for how city government is organized and how authority is divided.
The City Council
The charter places the city’s legislative authority in a six-member City Council.
Section 2.16 states that, except as otherwise provided by law or the charter, the City Council is vested with “all the powers of government of this city.”
The charter lists several responsibilities for councilmembers, including serving the needs of Cochran’s citizens, remaining accessible to residents, listening to concerns from their districts, developing and implementing the city’s strategic plan and adopting resolutions and ordinances.
The council also appoints the city manager and city clerk.
The charter also addresses how councilmembers interact with city employees.
It directs councilmembers to work with the city manager in conducting city business and to “refrain from directing the activities of officers or employees either publicly or privately.”
That provision is repeated in Section 2.31. Except for inquiries and investigations authorized under the charter, councilmembers are to deal with officers and employees under the city manager’s supervision through or in conjunction with the manager. The charter states that neither the council nor its individual members shall give orders to those employees publicly or privately.
The council also has investigative authority. Following adoption of an authorizing resolution, it may conduct inquiries and investigations into city affairs and the conduct of departments, offices or agencies.
The Mayor
The powers and duties of the mayor are set out separately in Section 2.33.
Under the charter, the mayor presides at City Council meetings.
The mayor is also designated as the head of the city for service of process and ceremonial purposes, the city’s official spokesperson and the “chief advocate of policy.”
The mayor may administer oaths and take affidavits and signs approved contracts, ordinances and other written instruments when required.
The mayor votes on matters before the City Council only in the event of a tie.
The charter also states that the mayor does not have veto power when at least four councilmembers vote with the majority.
Under the charter, the city manager — rather than the mayor — is designated as the city’s chief executive and administrative officer.
The City Manager
Section 2.30 states that the city manager is the “chief executive and administrative officer of the city.”
The city manager is responsible to the City Council for the administration of city affairs placed under the manager’s authority.
Among the manager’s duties are appointing, suspending and removing city employees and administrative officers under the manager’s authority; directing and supervising city departments, offices and agencies; and ensuring that laws, charter provisions and acts of the City Council are carried out.
The manager also prepares and submits the annual operating and capital budgets to the City Council, provides financial and administrative reports, keeps councilmembers advised about the city’s financial condition and future needs and makes recommendations concerning city affairs.
Department directors also operate under the direction and supervision of the city manager.
The City Council appoints the city manager and determines the manager’s compensation. The charter states that the appointment is to be based primarily on executive and administrative qualifications.
Taken together, the charter establishes a defined structure of responsibility: citizens elect the mayor and City Council, the council appoints the city manager, and the city manager oversees the day-to-day administration of city government.
Why the Charter Matters
Understanding those distinctions is important because local government involves more than simply knowing who holds an elected or appointed title.
The charter establishes how authority is distributed and how the different parts of city government are intended to function together.
For residents, it also provides a reference point for understanding who makes policy, who votes, who supervises employees and who is responsible for carrying out the decisions made by elected officials.
The City of Cochran charter identifies the City Council as the city’s legislative authority, assigns specific duties to the mayor and designates the city manager as the chief executive and administrative officer.
As The Ledger continues its Understanding Local Government series, we will continue examining the documents and procedures that help explain how local government operates and what those rules mean for the citizens it serves.
The city is only one part of local government.
In the coming weeks, The Ledger will also begin examining the county government side, including the roles, responsibilities and authority of county officials, so readers can better understand how both city and county government operate.
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