Reichert Seeks Clarity on Consolidation Charter Confusion

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – In less than two months, Macon and Bibb County is consolidating, but there may not be any leaders to run the new government unless the court system steps in.

Macon-Bibb Mayor-elect Robert Reichert laid out the problem to the Bibb legislative delegation Tuesday morning. According to the consolidation charter, the new government starts January 1, 2014, but the elected leaders won’t be sworn in until the second Monday of the month, January 13th.

Rechiert says the city and county are working together to legally change that.

“It would be a friendly declaratory judgment. We would hope that the City of Macon and Bibb County and the legislative delegation would all be petitioners in saying this is what we want,” Reichert said. “We want a swearing in date on December 31 so that it provides for this seamless transition.”

State Representative Nikki Randall adds this needs to be done so the government will be ready to start working right away.

“It will allow the government to be seated and for them to go ahead and adopt those initial policies that need to be adopted prior to day one, certainly in time for the government to be ready to go by January first,” Randall said.

Reichert says the city and county attorneys are working on this problem and hope to have more details on a solution later this week.

He hopes the new elected leaders will be sworn in on December 31 at 11 a.m. They then have an initial meeting to adopt ordinances, procedures, a budget, and other essential items of business laid out by the transition task force.