The Washington City Council met in its regular January meeting Monday night, tending to city business back in the City Hall meeting room with a lighter-than-usual crowd.

The council set fees for qualifying for city council seats at $108, the same as previous years, and, although there is no mayoral election this year, set fees for any qualifying necessary for that office at $216. This year, two seats from District 1, held by Rev. G.L. Avery and Maceo Mahoney, and one from District 2, held by Pamela Eaton, will come up for election.

In a separate action, the council also appointed Probate Judge Thomas Charping as supervisor of the municipal election.

Councilman Nathaniel Cullars made a motion to more than triple the pay of city council members to $7,800 a year. "I do a lot for my District 1, and I need to be compensated for what's going on." The motion was seconded by Mahoney.

Avery asked Cullars if, since any raise they voted on wouldn't take effect until the next election, they could put off discussion of a raise until April's council retreat. Cullars agreed, and retracted his motion.

In city appointments, Mayor Burns recommended that Magistrate Chip Hardin be continued as city judge. Mahoney asked if M.V. Booker had been given consideration for the job. Burns put his recommendation to a vote and it passed, 4-2, with Mahoney and Cullars voting against.

The mayor also recommended the retention of Barry Fleming as city attorney, and that passed unanimously.

After notifying the council of his intentions, the mayor announced several changes to boards and commissions. On the Historical Preservation Commission, the mayor appointed Lou Riccuiti and Ed Franklin to fill the seats vacated by Tom Duggan and Skeet Willingham. The mayor reappointed James Gilmore to the Zoning Appeals Board, and added Willingham, Sim Dill, and Rosalie Haynes to fill seats on that board's sign appeal group. Burns also reappointed Cullars to the Parks and Recreation Commission.

The mayor said that he had decided to maintain all current committee assignments for councilmen.

The council also approved a resolution for the Jan. 23 celebration of the city's birthday, and approved a request for permission for the Martin Luther King Day parade January 19. Also approved was a resolution that authorizes execution of a contract for participant services from Electric Cities of Georgia, and approved a resolution for a plan for displacement and relocation in the Southwest Washington redevelopment area.

A public meeting to discuss a possible youth curfew will be held Thursday evening, January 15, at 6:30 at the Pope Center, City Administrator Mike Eskew reminded the council.

Just prior to Monday night's meeting, the council approved a distilled spirits pouring license application received from Gourmet Management Group, LLC for a business operating as the Edward Pope Conference Center.