Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett. Photo obtained via http://pattigarrett.net/

Patti Garrett was unanimously reelected by her fellow city commissioners to serve as the city’s mayor in 2017. They did the same for Mayor Pro Tem Fred Boykin.

The vote took place during the commission’s regular meeting on Jan. 3.

It’s a routine matter for Decatur’s uncommon system of municipal government where the mayor and mayor pro tem are commissioners elected by fellow commissioners.

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But it seems to work for the city. Mayors tend to have lengthy tenures.

Garrett succeeded Jim Baskett, who decided not to run for his commission seat again. Baskett had the job since 2013, and he succeeded Bill Floyd, who was mayor from 1999 to 2013. The previous Mayor Pro Tem, Kecia Cunningham, held that job from 2013 until she resigned in 2015. Baskett had held the mayor pro tem’s job since 2002 before becoming mayor to replace Floyd.

Garrett and Boykin thanked their fellow commissioners for their support.

“I thank y’all for nominating and electing me again as Mayor Pro Tem and I’ll do my best to do a good job the rest of the year,” Boykin said.

Garrett said she will be discussing the city’s priorities in more depth at the annual State of the City speech on Jan. 24.

“I would like to thank all of you all for supporting me this past year and look forward to another successful year,” Garrett said. “It really, literally flew buy.”

The mayor presides over city meetings and is the ceremonial head of government. The position pays $6,000 a year, compared with the traditional commissioner’s salary of $4,800. The mayor pro tem fills in for the mayor when she is unavailable.

The day-to-day operations of city government are handled by the city manager.

Commissioners also reappointed Bryan Downs as the city’s attorney, Rhathelia Stroud as chief municipal court judge, and Berryl A. Anderson and Lindsay R.M. Jones as part-time judges. Robert Leitch has retired from his job as a part-time judge after 21 years, according to a memo presented to the city commission. Matthew McCoyd has been appointed to fill that vacancy, and Leitch will become a substitute judge. Hollie Manheimer was reappointed as a substitute municipal judge, and the city appointed a new substitute judge, Charles E. Bailey.

In other business, the commission approved a $16,000 contract to upgrade security on the doors at city hall. The contract was awarded to Overhead Door Company of Atlanta.

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