QUITMAN, Ga (WALB) – The city of Quitman announced Friday, May 1, that Commissioner Christopher Cole has resigned due to residency issues. Cole represents Quitman’s District 1. “Due to an unexpected relocation outside of his district, [Cole] no longer meets the residency requirement outlined in the City Charter,” the city wrote in a public statement. Quitman’s city charter requires councilmembers to reside within their district for the duration of their term. The city will call for a special election to fill the vacancy. City manager James Lawrence said additional details will be provided later. This comes amid recent controversy surrounding Quitman’s city charter, after Georgia Rep. John LaHood previously wrote legislation to dissolve it. The city has dealt with a number of issues over the years, but perhaps the biggest outstanding issue is that the city has not completed an audit since 2017-2018. The city is operating under it’s current charter for now, with no immediate dissolution deadline. Rep. LaHood’s legislation was changed to include a referendum that will allow people in Quitman and Brooks County to vote on the future of their local governments. A second referendum in 202
*This content (including text, artwork, graphics, photography, and video) was provided by the third party(ies) as referenced above. Any rights or other content questions or inquiries should be directed to such third-party provider(s).
