During the ACC Unified Government’s agenda setting meeting on Tuesday, the committee discussed their thoughts on a resolution in support of the LGBTQIA + community.
If passed, the resolution would state that the county is committed to creating a supportive place for these individuals to live authentically and openly without fear. Resolutions do not create binding policy for the county government.
Commissioner Melissa Link of District 2 was in favor of the resolution in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. She says the recent national election and the murder of San Coleman, a 48-year-old Black gender non-conforming person that died in Athens, Georgia in October, have put the community at risk.
Commissioner John Culpepper of District 7, however, was against the resolution, because he believes the resolution represents an opinion and not an action. Culpepper also expressed concern about whether the People and Belonging Department are handling their responsibilities. “We have created this department, their budget for 2025 was $751,000, we gave them an increase of 64%, which is $294,000, and added an additional person,” said Culpepper.
Commissioner Patrick Davenport of District 1 was also in support of the resolution: “I want everybody to feel safe in this community. Passing this resolution is a great way to show that this body, the ten commissions and mayor, support those individuals,” said Davenport. Davenport also mentioned that if there are other marginalized groups that feel as though they need a resolution, they can bring it forward.
The commission will vote on this resolution in December.
