Monday, January 14, 2013
He talks about why he opposes the popular election of Decatur's mayor and why he decided to run last time.
New Decatur Mayor Jim Baskett fielded a few questions from Patch on Tuesday, the day after his fellow city commissioners elected him to the top job. The first installment of the interview ran Friday. When I talked to Bill Floyd he said he thinks the city should go to a popularly elected mayor. What do you think? This issue is not new. It comes up every number of years, every few years it comes up again. I have not been in favor of it the entire time I’ve been on the city commission. The first time it came up … Bill wasn’t even mayor. I was the one person who represents at large. So the proposal was that the at-large seat be the mayor’s seat and that way be elected by the city. Really Bill’s idea was to do that, too. So there was a time …
Friday, January 11, 2013
He talks about priorities, annexation, the city school system and relations with DeKalb County.
Jim Baskett, 65, is hardly an unknown in Decatur city government. He’s served on the city commission since 1995 as an at-large member, meaning the whole city votes on his post, and as mayor pro tem for 10 years. On Monday night his fellow commissioners elected him mayor to replace Bill Floyd. Floyd left the commission after more than two decades. Baskett is retired now, but for decades he and his wife, Mickey, owned and ran Prolific Impressions, a publishing company. Baskett said the company usually put out about 25 books a year, with the biggest seller being “Cutting Your Family’s Hair.” The Basketts live in the historic South Candler district. He often travels around town in an electric GEM car and says he usually runs about 20 miles a …
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The city commission voted Monday night on its new leaders. Kecia Cunningham is the mayor pro tem.
Monday, January 7, 2013
The other city commissioners picked him to succeed Bill Floyd, who resigned. Kecia Cunningham is the mayor pro tem.
The new mayor of Decatur is Jim Baskett, who has served on the Decatur City Commission since 1995 and been the mayor pro tem the last 10 years. The meeting started at 7:30 p.m. and the process only took about two minutes. Kecia Cunningham nominated him and Patti Garrett seconded. They and Fred Boykin voted in favor. Cunningham was picked mayor pro tem by a 3-0 vote. Baskett nominated her and Boykin seconded the nomination. Seniority prevailed, with Baskett and Cunningham now being the commissioners with the most and the second-most years on the board. Baskett will take the place of Bill Floyd, who served as mayor 14 years. Floyd announced last month that he'd resign, effective Monday, to take a job with a consulting firm. In Decatur, …
taxus
1:19 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I agree with Jim about electing a mayor and about annexation more ›