Varnell councilwoman Ashlee Godfrey prepares to leave the council meeting, ending the meeting early because of the lack of a quorum.

VARNELL, Ga. — In a move which killed for the moment a proposed referendum on the fate of the Varnell Police Department, councilwoman Ashlee Godfrey walked out of Tuesday’s council meeting before a motion for the referendum could be called for a vote.

With Varnell having just three council members given the resignations of Sheldon Fowler and Andrea Gordy earlier this summer, Mayor Anthony Hulsey adjourned the meeting since there was no longer a quorum.

Godfrey said she objected to the wording of the referendum that would tie eliminating the police department to eliminating the property tax, which Hulsey called “bribery” during the meeting.

“I think just to be fair, this should be solely based on the police department,” Godfrey said after she walked out of the meeting held in the Varnell gym. “It should not be tied to property taxes. I think if they want to vote about property taxes it should be a separate question on the ballot.” 

Before walking out, Godfrey tried to stop the resolution on the referendum by claiming the city charter requires two hearings unless there is unanimous consent by the council members to pass the resolution in one meeting. After being informed by city attorney Terry Miller that the charter had been amended in 1999 to delete that requirement, Godfrey announced she was leaving.

“I am listening to the individuals that are speaking,” Godfrey said. “If we are seeing the majority of the citizens willing to accept this, I most definitely would be supportive to what the citizens are wanting. But when we have a clear understanding and citizens are continuing to ask and pretty much beg for this to be separated, I have to do what I swore and took an oath to do, and that is listen to the citizens and be fair.”

The move left the remaining council members, David Owens and Jan Pourquoi, seemingly stunned. Pourquoi said the referendum needed to be turned in today to make it onto the November ballot, but Godfrey said it must be submitted by September. Either way, neither think the referendum will now make it before the voters. 

The referendum was on the agenda for the July council meeting but with the resignations and with Godfrey missing that meeting for a “family emergency,” a quorum did not exist and the meeting was never called to order. Owens and Pourquoi left that night to the jeering of many in the crowd who had showed up in favor of the police department. Gordy, Owens and Pourquoi had voted to dissolve the department on July 11, a move which Hulsey vetoed two days later. Godfrey had voted against the move to dissolve the department and supported Hulsey’s veto.

“Those who talk a lot about democracy and listening to the people really don’t want to listen to the people,” Pourquoi said. “They don’t want to have a referendum on this. The same person who didn’t show up last time walked out this time. It is an absurdity.

“Long live democracy,” he said. 

The vote to dissolve the police department followed questions about the handling of an incident at Fowler’s residence in June by Police Chief Lyle Grant. Fowler later resigned and Grant was suspended after writing in his report that “officers were tolerant of his (Fowler’s) behavior because of his position on the Varnell City Council.” Grant was later reinstated by Hulsey. Fowler was charged with simple assault, simple battery against a law enforcement officer and disorderly conduct.