Athens-Clarke County Charter Overview Commission collection
Content Description
This collection consists of documents and papers collected by Greenia while serving as commission chairman. The collection is arranged in two series, the first of which compiles those documents that were created and distributed by, and written about, the commission. This series includes correspondence between commission members, press clippings and news releases on the Overview Commission, questionnaires sent out to citizens by the commission, and a note pad with notes written by Greenia. The second series consists of documents that were reviewed by the commission when completing their report of the new government. This series contains information about the city of Athens and Clarke County from the time, information and research on other consolidated city-counties in Georgia and Florida, information on the functions of various governmental departments, and reports written for the Athens-Clarke Unification Transition Team. This series is split into seven subseries to show the different types of material reviewed by the commission, including A-CC unification process documents; research on consolidated governments; unified A-CC programs, plans, and reports; unified A-CC government; the Equal Opportunity Commission; A-CC budget; and miscellaneous items.
Dates
- 1987 - 1996
Conditions Governing Access
This collection has no restrictions. This collection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required. Apply in the Heritage Room for access.
Biographical / Historical
Once the city of Athens and Clarke County consolidated, the unified government charter required a special commission to review the new government charter and the first four years of the A-CC government’s operation. The charter required that the Athens-Clarke Grand Jury be in charge of screening and selecting qualified citizens for the commission, and in 1995, the Grand Jury appointed 22 members to the Charter Overview Commission. The Overview Commission convened on July 1, 1995 and completed its review in six months. The duties of the commission included reviewing the goals and objectives of the unified government, and the extent to which the new government achieved those objectives; assessing the performance of governmental departments in the past year; considering additional programs or services to be implemented by the new government; and reviewing any other issues that the commission deemed as important. Dennis Greenia, co-founder and publisher of Flagpole magazine from 1987-1995, was chosen to chair the Overview Commission.
Extent
1.67 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Language
English
Overview
The collection consists of documents relating to the consolidation of the governments of the city of Athens and Clarke County. Included in the collection are documents created by and about the Charter Overview Commission, as well as documents reviewed by the commission to create a report on the first four years of the unified government.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in two series: Documents created and distributed by Overview Commission, and Documents reviewed by Overview Commission, with subseries in the second series.
Separated Materials
The following were separated from the collection due to containing personally identifiable information: Members of the 1995 Athens-Clarke County Charter Overview Commission list, handwritten note from commission member to Dennis Greenia, applications for consideration for appointment to the Unified Government Overview Commission, list of commission members, handwritten note with commission members' names and phone numbers, Athens-Clarke County Unified Government for 1995 list, former mayors and council of the city of Athens 1986-1990, Overview Committee persons whom requested consideration, citizen members of the Alcohol Ad Hoc Committee, Construction and Preservation Ad Hoc Committee members, rules and procedures of the Board, Athens-Clarke Tomorrow Steering Committee, letter from A-CC Auditor to Dennis Greenia, and minutes of Athens-Clarke County Commission from July 9, 1991.
Condition Description
fair to good
- Members of the 1995 Athens-Clarke County Charter Overview Commission list
- Handwritten note from commission member to Dennis Greenia
- Applications for consideration for appointment to the Unified Government Overview Commission
- List of commission members
- Handwritten note with commission members' names and phone numbers
- Athens-Clarke County unified government for 1995 list
- Former mayors and council of the city of Athens 1986-1990
- Overview Committee persons whom requested consideration
- Citizen members of the Alcohol Ad Hoc Committee
- Construction and Preservation Ad Hoc Committee members
- Rules and procedures of the Board
- Athens-Clarke Tomorrow Steering Committee
- Letter from A-CC Auditor to Dennis Greenia
- Minutes of Athens-Clarke County Commission from July 9, 1991
- Title
- Athens-Clarke County Charter Overview Commission collection
- Author
- Ansley Murdock
- Date
- November 2023
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Athens-Clarke County (Georgia) Unification Files, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.
- Smith, Douglas E. “A History of the Unification of the Athens-Clarke County Government.” May 1997. https://www.accgov.com/DocumentCenter/View/31886/Unification-of-the-Athens-Clarke-County-Government-Report. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
Repository Details
Part of the Heritage Room, Athens-Clarke County Library Repository
2025 Baxter Street
Athens GA 30606