Savannah City Council year in review: Triumphs, squabbles make for interesting year

Will Peebles, Savannah Morning News

December 21, 2022 at 5:10 AM·8 min read

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This year, the third year in office for Savannah's current council members, was a productive, if not tumultuous one.

Over the course of the year, the city saw the effects of the council's votes: the opening of the Enmarket Arena; the return of the St. Patrick's Day Parade; the resignation of former Police Chief Roy Minter and the removal of John C. Calhoun's name from Calhoun Square.

But sometimes, it wasn't council's votes that made the headlines, but their harsh words for each other. Personal attacks and disagreements made their way to live council meetings, and sometimes spilled over to squabbles outside council chambers.

Savannah At-Large Post 1 Alderwoman Kesha Gibson-Carter stands at her council seat and calls District 6 Alderman Kurtis Purtee a liar, as he accuses her of calling him a "child pedophile, a predator and a f***** at the Oct. 27 council meeting.

Through triumph and tribulation, 2022 sets the stage for next year, when all nine sitting council positions will be up for re-election.

January through March

Jan. 27 - Kesha Gibson-Carter removed as chair, announces mayoral bid

Alderwoman Kesha Gibson Carter was removed from her post as Council Chair in late January. Gibson-Carter was chosen as chair at the first meeting of 2020. The purpose of the position, along with that of Mayor Pro Tem, is to create a council succession plan.

Gibson-Carter didn't vote on the motion, which passed 6-2, with Council members Alicia Miller Blakely and Bernetta Lanier voting in opposition. Alderwomen Estella Shabazz joined the five that voted to put the item on the agenda in the removal vote.

Alderwoman Kesha Gibson-Carter is seen in this file photo.

Not long after, Gibson-Carter announced her run for mayor in the 2023 municipal election.

“And for me, it's not even about the principle because the people of Savannah sent me to this seat, and it doesn't matter about the chair when I'm going to one day be the mayor,” Gibson-Carter told SMN.

More:Savannah City Council spars as Kesha Gibson-Carter removed as chair over calling peer 'racist'

More:‘Savannah needs a mayor who cares.’ Gibson-Carter talks 2023 mayoral bid

Feb. 5 - Enmarket Arena opens

February saw the Enmarket Arena open, after years of planning and construction. The first ticketed event was a Riley Green concert, but the arena opened for a community day on Feb. 5, allowing Savannah residents the opportunity to tour the new facility.

Crews broke ground for the 9,500-seat, 149,000-square-foot arena in 2019, but discussions around a new arena go back to the mid-1990s. Through the years, the project has passed through five mayors, six aldermanic administrations and seven city managers

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson greets visitors as they arrive on Saturday at the Enmarket Arena for a community open house.

More:Savannah enmarket Arena officially opens with ribbon cutting and community day

March 17 - St Patrick's Day returns after COVID

Following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival returned, with a few changes chosen by council, specifically, the expansion of the to-go cup zone and new permit requirements for motorcoaches.

Additionally council decided not to issue any permits for private activities on the public rights-of-way, including outdoor entertainment and alcohol sales within the to-go cup zone, from March 17 to March 20. This meant no stages with live music along River Street, and no food or beer tents.

A young parade participant enjoys their first Savannah St. Patrick's Day Parade in Savannah, GA Thursday, March 17, 2022.

More:City Hall notebook: Savannah council approves St. Patrick's Day changes, renovations to Waters Ave. center

More:Live updates: Savannah St. Patrick's Day vignettes — 'Best experience of my life'

April through June

June 30 - Police Chief Roy Minter resigns

Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter resigned from his post in June, with the intent to focus on the confirmation process for his nomination to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Georgia. Minter's last day with the Savannah Police Department was July 29.

Minter was hired as chief in Aug. 2018, and his tenure here was checkered by internal complaints about his leadership tactics.

In April 2020, 77 SPD officers filed a joint complaint with the city's Office of Human Resources “to address a series of complaints against Chief Minter and his failures to abide by both the City of Savannah’s employee standards and leadership principles.”

Issues surfaced again in 2021 after the city conducted a survey of SPD officers. Nearly two-thirds, or 60.3% of the 137 Savannah police officers surveyed, said they were dissatisfied with the leadership of the command staff.

Assistant Chief Lenny Gunther was appointed as interim chief, and took over July 30, 2022. Chief Gunther has served the department since 2001.

Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter speaks at Mayor Van Johnson's weekly media briefing.

More:Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter will resign, focus on U.S. Marshal confirmation

April 18 - Rock N' Roll Marathon, weekend cancelled

The City of Savannah announced that it would not be renewing its contract with the Rock 'n' Roll Running series in a press release sent late in April. The city’s prior agreement ended after the 2021 race.

In the release, the reasons given for the cancelation included the public resources required to manage an event of its scale, and the disruptions to the community as a whole, especially those who lived along the race route.

The race is not set to return in 2023 either.

Friends and family watch as runners pass by on Bay Street Saturday morning November 5, 2016 during the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.

More:After 10 years, the City of Savannah cancels 2022 Rock 'n' Roll marathon

July through September

July 29 - Savannah passes the lowest millage rate in 35 years

Savannah City Council passed a millage rate of 12.20 mills for 2023, down from this year's rate of 12.74 but still shy of the rollback rate.

Gibson-Carter and Miller Blakely both argued on behalf of adopting the rollback rate of 11.399 — the rate that would allow the city to make as much money off property taxes as it did last year, taking into account the increase in property value in that time.

Melder said passage of this rate would allow the city to increase starting pay, as well as offer signing and retention bonuses, for Savannah Police and Savannah Fire, which he and the majority of council believes will make Savannah more competitive in recruitment for both departments.

Starting pay for Savannah Police would increase to $50,000 from $44,000 while new firefighters would earn $48,000 compared to the current salary of $44,000.

Savannah City Council listen as City Manager Jay Melder, who was attending the meeting remotely, speaks about the millage rate at a council meeting on July 28.

More:Savannah City Council passes 2022 millage rate. Will your property taxes increase?

Aug. 25 - Investments in homelessness initiatives

Savannah's elected leaders approved four items that will send funding to local homelessness reduction organizations as well as build more tiny homes at the Dundee site, with the aim to increase and expand the services available to those without housing in the Savannah area.

The four items will increase the city’s financial support of Chatham Savannah Homeless Authority and Union Mission, and permit the construction of 38 low-rent cottages on 5.3 acres of vacant, city-owned land.

The approval also gives berth to CSHA’s street outreach team to expand their hours to 11 p.m., and work to provide those outreach services on the city’s behalf as the Savannah Homeless Outreach Team, or SHOT.

The funding will also pay for Union Mission to open a daytime center to provide "a safe, clean space" for meeting basic needs, socialization, interaction, respite, and connections to supportive services.

The Cove at Dundee Tiny House project on Dundee Street.

More:Tiny homes, big dreams. What you need to know about Savannah Council's homelessness fight.

Sept. 8 - "Ghetto b," "Pedophile"

The long simmering animosity between two council members turned ugly in September, as District 6 Alderman Kurtis Purtee and Gibson-Carter traded vulgar insults in an exchange outside council chambers following their Sept. 8 meeting.

Purtee called Gibson-Carter a "ghetto b****" in response to her accusing him of being a "child predator and a pedophile." Purtee is a white, openly gay man while Gibson-Carter is a Black woman.

Purtee admitted using the "ghetto b****" slur in a telephone interview with SMN, and said it was prompted by Gibson-Carter calling him “boy” twice, and telling him to “go somewhere else," while speaking to a constituent. Purtee alleges she then made comments about him being a "child predator and a pedophile."

More:'Ghetto b*****'? 'Pedophile'? Heated exchange between Savannah alderpersons caught on video

October through December

Nov. 10 - Council votes to remove name of Calhoun square

Council unanimously voted to remove the name of former Vice President John C. Calhoun from the square bearing his name.

Now, the square on Abercorn Street has no name — "the square formerly known as Calhoun," after Savannah City Council voted 9-0 to remove the name of Calhoun, a former vice president and South Carolina statesman who was known for being a staunch advocate for slavery.

The vote comes nearly two years after an activist group called the Center for Jubilee, Reconciliation and Healing and its founders, Patt Gunn and Rosalyn Rouse, began pushing for the square to be renamed for Suzie King Taylor, a Savannah icon.

Patt Gunn, left, Rosalyn Rouse and the Saltwata Players perform at Jubilee Freedom Day in Calhoun Square on Dec. 20, 2020. It was here that Gunn and Rouse first announced the Center for Jubilee, Reconciliation and Healing would be seeking to change the name of two squares. They have since narrowed their focus on Calhoun Square. [Will Peebles/Savannahnow.com]

More:Savannah City Council votes unanimously to remove the name of Calhoun Square

Dec. 8: Fiscal year 2023 budget

At their Dec. 8 meeting, Savannah’s city council approved the proposed $493 million fiscal year 2023 budget, which came with investments in law enforcement and broader city services, and continues council’s commitment to affordable housing, albeit at $2 million, a far cry from the $7 million investment in the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund last year. An additional $550,000 will be contributed to homelessness support services grants.

The general fund, which is the main operating fund for the city, will be stocked with $239 million, with no tax increase or planned draw from reserves. The five-year general fund forecast doesn’t predict a deficit, but City Manager Jay Melder said city staff will be keeping an eye on costs in a volatile economic climate.

Additionally, the FY23 budget includes about $95 million in planned spending, up from $84 million last year.

The top revenue sources expected in FY23 are property, sales and other taxes, which are expected to account for about $206 million; user fees for city specific services, $42 million; interfund revenues, $54 million. In total, 2023 revenue is expected to be $492.6 million.