There is a certain nervousness about replacing a man who has become a legend in Georgia municipal law.
It is compounded by the realization that searching for City Attorney James Blackburn’s replacement will be the first public job hunt by a City Council since the previous council hired a new city manager, a process that divided council and fueled community outcry.
With that in mind, three of council’s four executive officers, Mayor Edna Jackson, Chairman Tony Thomas and Vice Chairwoman Mary Osborne, met Wednesday to begin the process for seeking applicants. They are determined to make it the smoothest, most transparent process possible.
Working with attorneys Bill Shearouse and Lester Johnson, and with Blackburn assisting, they revised the request for proposals and decided advertising should begin the week of July 9 with a cutoff date of July 27.
The full council is expected to vote on the proposal at today’s council meeting. Once the application process closes, an evaluation of candidates will begin.
The three council members agreed on two adjustments: The proposal will make it clear no member of city staff or any member of council other than the mayor should communicate with any candidate until a decision has been reached.
Thomas said at this week’s Georgia Municipal Association meeting in Savannah at least one person had approached him to lobby for the job. The draft had not specifically identified members of council, only “representatives of the city.”
The proposal also will make it clear that any applicant cannot be a member of a law firm that directly or indirectly does business with the city.
Council has anticipated naming a new city attorney by year’s end.
Blackburn has provided legal counsel for the city for more than 55 years and has served as city attorney for 42 years.