Councilmember Rogers presses city manager on responsiveness and procurement; resident raises procurement code concerns

East Point — Councilwoman Martin Rogers used public meeting time on July 21 to criticize the city manager's responsiveness to her requests related to the Elle Circle realignment project and other Ward D priorities, and to say she will copy the mayor and council on future communications to increase transparency.

The exchange matters because Rogers cited internal expectations and a municipal resolution requiring acknowledgement and written responses to communications, and she requested audits and timelines for outstanding items.

"I want to clarify that I do not work for you. I serve the residents of Ward D and the residents in the city of East Point, Georgia," Rogers said. She criticized what she described as the city manager's practice of prioritizing informal engagements and not providing timely deliverables, asking specifically "When will we receive the audits for FY 2024 and 2025?" Rogers also cited Resolution 148-020 and its requirement that the city manager acknowledge receipt of communications within one business day and provide a written response with a resolution timeline within two business days.

In public comment, Japre Hemming, a resident of Pembroke Drive, praised the council's recent budget move that moved money from the council department code to the city manager and then read sections of the municipal code during a comment about procurement. Hemming read from Section 5-101(c) regarding budget preparation and Section 4-3203 describing the duties of the purchasing agent, saying the purchasing agent "is to procure or supervise the procurement of all equipment, supplies, services, construction, and professional or consultant services needed by this city." Hemming urged council to "continue to do better and follow the ordinance."

Council did not take formal action in response to Rogers' remarks during the meeting; Rogers said she will copy the mayor and council on future communications to ensure transparency and accountability.