Hay v. Stephens
Hay v. Stephens
Opinion of the Court
This appeal by William C. Play is from an order denying a mandamus absolute and dismissing his application for mandamus against Otis H. Stephens, Sr., as Mayor of the City of East Point. By his petition the appellant sought to require the mayor to execute a warranty deed to him conveying property belonging to the city on which the appellant had made the highest bid pursuant to invitations to bid sent out under a resolution of the city council. The resolution and invitations to bid reserved the right of the city to reject all bids.
The case was decided on a stipulation in which the parties agreed on the following facts: The Council of East Point is comprised of the appellee as Mayor, W. 0. Walters, Mayor Pro Tempore, Mrs. Ruth Gunter, Provisional Mayor Pro Tempore, and six other named persons. On August 1, 1967, the purchasing agent of the city received four sealed bids for the purchase of described property belonging to the city, the appellant making the highest bid, that of $71,260. The Purchasing Committee of the city recommended that this bid be accepted. Pursuant to the requirements of the charter of the city, the city council convened on August 7, 1967. When the council convened, Mayor Stephens, Mayor Pro Tempore Walters, and a named council
The only legal question involved in the case is whether the Mayor Pro Tempore of the City of East Point had authority to veto the action of the City Council of East Point under the facts stipulated.
The charter of the City of East Point, as amended by Ga. L. 1959, pp. 2284-2286, states the duty and authority of the mayor in regard to the exercise of the veto power as follows: “. . . he shall have power to veto any action of the city council except its appointment of officers or employees, and except an impeachment resolution against the mayor, or a resolution of removal of the mayor; and no act shall take effect over such veto unless subsequently passed by the affirmative vote of at least five councilmen on a yea and nay vote duly recorded on the minutes of the city council; and action of the city council,
It is asserted by the appellant that the veto power of the Mayor of the City of East Point is vested solely with him until he dies, resigns, becomes disabled, or disqualified. This contention is not sustained by the language in the charter providing that the mayor pro tempore shall “discharge the duties and exercise the powers and authority of mayor in the absence, disability or disqualifiaction of the mayor.” This language leaves no question to be decided in the present case except a determination of the meaning of the words “in the absence . . . of the mayor” as applied to the facts of the present case.
The appellant poses many puzzling questions concerning situations that might arise in regard to the assumption of duties of the mayor by the mayor pro tempore and provisional mayor pro tempore. We are confronted with none of these in the present case. The parties have stipulated that the mayor was away from the city and could not, and did not, act as mayor of the city during the time the mayor pro tempore filed his veto to the action of council. The mayor has not challenged the right of the mayor pro tempore to veto the action of council in accepting the bid of the appellant, but has upheld this veto by declining to execute a warranty deed to him. Whether or not the words "in the absence ... of the mayor” may have other meanings besides that dealt with in the present case,
The trial judge did not err in denying the mandamus absolute, and dismissing the application for mandamus.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- HAY v. STEPHENS, Mayor
- Status
- Published