The story
In December 2025, Demorest City Council's work session discussed several proposed Home Rule amendments to the city charter: requiring council approval of contracts (Section 6.25), setting procedures for the sale or lease of city property (Section 1.14), spelling out ordinance introduction and adoption procedures (Section 2.22), and revising the mayor's powers and duties (Section 2.29). In its regular session the same night, the council voted 4-0 to waive first readings of all four and schedule final votes for January.
On January 6, 2026, the council took up second readings of the four amendments. It voted 4-0 to accept the amendments to Section 2.29 (adding a Mayor Pro Tem and a councilmember authorized to sign checks), Section 2.22 (ordinance form and procedures), and Section 6.25 (contract approval by council). A second reading of the Section 1.14 property sale/lease amendment was also on the agenda and a public notice was published for it, but no vote on it is recorded that night.
A new Home Rule amendment surfaced in March 2026, to Section 2.21 "Quorum; Voting," which the work session said would clarify how a quorum is defined, how voting occurs, and how vacancies or tie votes are handled. The council held a first reading of the measure at its March 3 regular session.
The council approved the amended Section 2.21 on second reading April 7, 2026, by a 4-0 vote.