J u n e 9 , 2 0 2 2 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 5 , N o . 2 3
Democrats push legislative effort for gun reform By REBECCA GRAPEVINE Capitol Beat
JAKE DRUKMAN/APPEN MEDIA
Forsyth County commissioners discuss amending county rules prohibiting commissioners from holding office elsewhere during a regular meeting June 2.
Officials may expand reach
Commissioners view eligibility for other posts By JAKE DRUKMAN jake@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is looking to change county rules that prohibit board members from holding office elsewhere. At its June 2 business meeting, the board unanimously approved the first reading of an amendment to county legislation that would enable commissioners to hold office in municipalities that are neither within nor bordering Forsyth County. The amendment requires a second reading and approval
before it goes into effect. Current county legislation prohibits commissioners from holding any other office within Forsyth County, another county, any municipality or the state. Commissioner Todd Levent, a former law enforcement officer who is still certified, said that a commissioner could not even serve as a volunteer police officer for a city under current rules. The amendment would eliminate that rule, though Levent said he’s unlikely to ever make use of the amended language himself. Commissioners would still be unable to hold state offices or offices in another county. Cities such as Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton would also still be off-limits for commissioners, because they share a border with Forsyth County. If the amendment goes into effect, a commissioner would be able to hold office in a city
such as Dawsonville, because the city is fully within the borders of Dawson County. In other business at the Thursday meeting, the commission voted to amend the county’s Unified Development Code to allow gravel parking lots in special event venues and properties used for agritourism. The code previously required concrete or asphalt parking lots for these uses, along with most other properties in the county. Ethan Underwood, an attorney with Cumming law firm Miles Hansford & Tallant, encouraged the amendment and asked the commission to consider broadening the change. He said gravel parking lots may serve other commercial uses better than paved lots. Commissioner Laura Semanson said the county may consider more gravel
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ATLANTA — America is facing an “epidemic of gun violence,” State Sen. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek, said at a press conference May 27 called by the Democratic Party of Georgia in response to the recent mass shootings. “It keeps happening, and sometimes it feels like it never stops,” Au said. In March of last year, eight people, including six Asian-American women, were killed in an attack on spas in metro Atlanta. Au said the attack “rocked the nation’s Asian-American community to its core.” Michael Webb’s former wife, Xiaojie Tan, was one of the women killed. Webb, who said he is a gun owner and not a liberal or even a Democrat, called for “common-sense gun control and gun safety” measures like waiting periods to take possession of a firearm after purchase. “I feel reasonably confident – knowing the evidence – that the mother of my daughter would be alive
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