City honors local voter registration efforts

♦ Commissioners also announce closings for New Year’s Day.

The Rome City Commission issued a proclamation Monday recognizing the efforts of the RomeFloyd League of Women Voters and other nonpartisan women’s organizations involved in voter education.

It marked the 100th anniversary of both the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, and the first presidential election in which women voted.

The proclamation, read by Commissioner Sundai Stevenson, recognized the Rome chapter of the LWV, which was originally established in 1919, for their work in voter registration and encouraging women to vote.

It went on to say that the 19th amendment itself “was instrumental in the eventual passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (amended in 1975) which largely eradicated citizen disenfranchisement by racial discrimination.”

Commissioners also issued a proclamation recognizing Bryan Johnson, the city’s former Municipal Court judge, for his work in the legal profession and congratulating him on becoming a judge in Floyd County Superior Court.

Commissioners also passed the 2021 budget, with no comments from the public. The document can be found on the city’s finance department page of the website Romefloyd.com.

The board also approved applications for duplex residential zoning at 41, 42, 43 and 44 E. 16th St. and for light industrial zoning at 200 Old Lindale Road.

Thomas Lambert plans to subdivide the 16th Street lot and sell one of the duplexes.

Jonathan Kilgo spoke in favor of the Old Lindale Road rezoning, which would allow Rome L/P Gas to use the lot for truck maintenance and equipment storage.

City of Rome offices and departments will be closed New Year’s Day. Friday’s trash collection will be done on Thursday, along with the regular Thursday service.

During caucus, the commissioners, City Manager Sammy Rich and other staff said goodbye to Assistant City Manager Patrick Eidson, who is taking a new job with the city of Carrollton.

Mayor Bill Collins said it was a pleasure to work with Eidson and that he has served Rome well. Commissioner Craig Mcdaniel concurred with Collins, saying Carrollton is lucky to have Eidson.

Rich said Eidson has been “a great addition to the team” and he wishes him the best in Carrollton.

After the meeting, commissioners went into a closed session to conduct their annual evaluation of the city manager.