Chickamauga’s city council will hold a public hearing Friday that could end with Mayor James “Trey” Deck losing his job.
What’s Happening: The council set up a special meeting for 4 p.m. Friday. The city attorney will present information, council members will discuss the matter, and the mayor will get a chance to speak before any decision is made.
What’s Important: No one has said publicly why council members want to remove Deck.
The Timeline: The meeting happens at 4 p.m. Friday.
An attorney for the mayor has not responded to requests for comment.
The Timing: The timing of this meeting is telling. Holding controversial public meetings or releasing controversial news on Friday as people head into the weekend is an age-old tactic exercised by all levels of government.
This tactic, colloquially known as the “Friday news dump,” is a well-worn strategy employed by savvy government officials. Releasing controversial news just before the weekend, when newsrooms are winding down and the public is turning its attention to personal pursuits, can lessen the immediate impact of a story. By the time Monday rolls around, the churn of the 24-hour news cycle often means that another headline has taken its place, or the initial furor has lost its edge.
While we can’t know for sure if this was calculation or coincidence, calling a controversial meeting on a Friday afternoon, especially before most people get off work, plays into an age-old government strategy.
In The Know: While much attention is given to national politics and the workings of Congress and the White House, local government meetings are where the decisions that impact your daily life are made. City Council, County Commission, School Board Meetings, and Town Halls are where your elected leaders discuss and decide the issues that most effect your family and your community. These meetings are open to the public.
Each week, The Georgia Sun highlights some of the meetings and local government actions you need to know about in your community to keep you informed and to make sure you know what decisions your elected officials are considering and how your tax dollars are being spent.
