Law Commons^™

Georgia Local Government Law: A Reflection On Thirty Surveys, R. Perry Sentell Jr.

Mercer Law Review

Pulling a survey chain is demanding work. Pulling a survey chain for thirty years manifests (at best) perseverance. Pulling a survey chain, for thirty years, around the boundaries of "Local Government Law" approaches the Sisyphean.' Such obstinacy demands a marking of the occasion-a staking of the claim that sheer persistence counts for something. If continuity contributes order, then "Local Government Law" deserves distinction. Presumably, it numbers among the most "orderly" of presentations appearing in these annual "Georgia Survey" issues.

Alas, the presumption falters. Rather, review reveals, each year's installment goes its own way, both in organization and in substance. Few …

Local Government Law, R. Perry Sentell Jr.

Mercer Law Review

In a year when attention focused upon the propriety of actions taken in high places, local governments naturally came in for their share of scrutiny. For both municipalities and counties, the pace was fervid. Their actions were the actions of interest to courts, legislatures, and people. This survey records the highlights of that preoccupation as it was manifested in law-the law of local government.

Georgia Local Government Law: Court Resolution Of County Government Disagreements, Paul Vignos

Mercer Law Review

County government regularly involves disagreements between county commissioners and other county officers. Solutions include arbitration, mediation, recalls, regular elections, and courtroom confrontations. Enough cases go through the courts to suggest a pattern of judicial resolution. In reviewing past decisions, one hopes to understand what the courts offer, how they work, why they decide as they do, and who they favor. At least, one hopes to reduce potential frustration over court battles that might be better resolved elsewhere.