Writer: Alyssa Jackson
Published March 9, 2022
WTOC 11
Port Wentworth has a chance of saving their city.
Georgia State Rep. Ron Stephens drafted a bill that if passed, would dissolve the city, making it a part of unincorporated Chatham County.
People living in Port Wentworth were outraged Tuesday night as city council members presented a resolution opposing the idea.
Rep. Ron Stephens said this idea didn’t happen overnight. He said there have been problems for years, including council members not working together and the city not paying bills.
All of this led to the delegation deciding the next step was to pull the charter.
After meeting with the interim city manager and city attorney Wednesday, Stephens said they’ve been convinced to give them a chance to do things right.
“There’s been so many bruised egos, if you will, over a period of time that it’s gotten to a point that it’s toxic...very toxic. There’s some work to do. I want to give them a chance to see if they can actually run a city and represent the folks that represented them to do that,” said Rep. Stephens.
He added the city will probably get the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the Georgia Municipal Association to step in, examine the city and provide guidance.
However, if nothing changes in the upcoming months, he said the delegation will have no other option than to pull the charter.
