Who will elect Cairo mayor? - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Who will elect Cairo mayor?

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March 8, 2004

Cairo-- Members of the Cairo city council will decide whether to eliminate the citizens' right to elect a mayor. A right many people don't believe should be taken away.

It's a fundamental right, a right many have died for. "I know I served my country in war in order to maintain our right to vote, and it carries a lot of weight with me." Mayor Dan Wells says it's not about him-- it's about the people of Cairo having the right to choose who they want to represent them as mayor.

"It's the people's city, the people's country, certainly they must have that right," said Wells.

That's a feeling shared by many in Cairo. "I feel like they should put it before the people," said Oshie Williford. "They should have an election and let the people decide. If the people say yes, then that's fine. If the people say no, then that's it."

State Representative Wallace Sholar agrees. In a telephone interview he said "Leave it to the people. That's the way it is now, let the people elect the mayor." Sholar says, even if the Council passes the vote tonight, he won't present the charter to the House of Representatives without a referendum, so the taxpayers can decide.

"We're the voters of Grady County, we pay the bills. It's our town, and I think we should have some say so," said NAACP Lafaye Copeland.

A say so that will be represented tonight during the vote, or in one later on. The council will vote at 6:00 at the Grady County Courthouse. We will have the results of that vote tonight at 11.

posted at 5:55PM by dave.miller@walb.com