Villa Rica's city council erupted into a battleground of controversy after a narrow decision to bring former Mayor Gil McDougal on board as the new Deputy City Manager. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, despite some residents' outrage and current Mayor Leslie McPherson's accusation of a political power play, the council voted 3 to 2 for McDougal's hiring under City Manager Tom Barber's recommendation.
After a group of protesters called for both McDougal and Barber's resignation outside City Hall, McPherson vetoed the council's decision, although it's debatable whether this action will stick. The point of contention centers around the legality, with Barber claiming hiring McDougal isn't prohibited by the city's charter since it's a hired, not appointed, position. Barber defended in a FOX 5 Atlanta interview, "I needed help. And his expertise is exactly what I need right now."
McDougal's appointment, as BNN Breaking reported, surfaces against a backdrop of his recent election defeat and a clause in the city charter prohibiting former mayors or council members from taking a compensated office within a year of leaving office. This has caused some taxpayers to question the legality of the move.
Contrary to McPherson's allegations that the appointment is a politician's attempt to sidestep electoral rejection, Barber cited the need for McDougal's relationships and experience to manage the city's projected population bump. "What we're trying to do is make this place ready to grow because we're about to add a lot of population here," Barber stated in an interview obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. But as BNN Breaking notes, the residents and officials of Villa Rica face a challenging period of growth and adjudication around the recent administrative changes as the city approaches a potential 50% population increase in the coming years.
With the legality of McDougal’s deployment at the helm of contention still in the wind, McPherson and some constituents are not backing down. "My lawyers are looking at every legal avenue and option that we have," the mayor said in a declaration captured by FOX 5 Atlanta. In the meantime, protests by the Villa Rica voters aim to keep political feet to the fire until they feel represented by their local government once more.
