A Change of Smyrna's Mayor Pro Tem

A few days from taking their oaths of office, Smyrna’s mayor and city council departed for Athens Friday afternoon for a one-day retreat to discuss the future goals for the Jonquil City.

With four new council members – Andrea Blustein, Ron Fennel, Susan Wilkinson and Corkey Welch – it’s a transitional time for Smyrna’s government. In addition to those four, council members Teri Anulewicz, Wade Lnenicka and Melleny Pritchett were set to join Mayor Max Bacon, City Administrator Eric Taylor, City Attorney Scott Cochran and City Clerk Susan Hiott in Athens.

“I’m excited about this new council and them bringing in new ideas,’’ Bacon said Thursday. “We’ve never had this much change with the council.’’

Truly there’s going to be a learning curve for this council, such as knowing when to make a motion or even when to second it. Such was the case at Tuesday’s first council meeting of 2012.

After the swearing-in ceremony had concluded, the first formal business to address for the new council was to vote on the appointment of mayor pro tem, the individual who steps in during the absence of the actual mayor. More than a few in attendance that evening were caught by surprise when Mayor Bacon tapped Pritchett for the position, and not Lnenicka, who had served as mayor pro tem for Smyrna the previous nine years.

There was an awkward and extended silence in the room as initially, no one called the motion to vote. Blustein, in her first official act as a council member, finally did and Anulewicz seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Lnenicka has been on the council since 1988 while Pritchett has been serving since 2001.

One Smyrna official told Patch that it was the first time since the 1970s that the most senior city council member was not approved as mayor pro tem in the Jonquil City. When asked Friday, Lnenicka said he was not prepared to make a public comment on the matter.

“The mayor pro tem is a position that is voted on by the mayor and council,’’ Bacon told Patch. “With the new folks coming on board, I thought it was time for a change. I changed all the committees and the next senior person on the council was Melleny Pritchett.

“I think everything is OK with that. The mayor pro tem is there if I’m not and I think she’ll do fine. I think it’s time to change everything with a new council coming on.”

At the meeting, Pritchett said, “I promise to do the very best job I can to keep you all informed on everything that’s going on and have your back Mayor when you’re out of town.”

The matter was also a subject of conversation among some at Thursday’s Smyrna Business Association luncheon. Lnenicka, who has been battling bronchitis the past two weeks, said Friday he was eager to serve another term.

“We’ve got some projects in Ward 6 that we want to finish,’’ he said. “In general, I want to continue to represent the citizens of Ward 6 and all of Smyrna as best I can.”