Rome Commission Renews City of Ethics Pledge
Commissioners voted 6-2 to continue the Georgia Municipal Association's City of Ethics recertification process.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in City Hall
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The Rome City Commission voted 6-2 on Monday to approve a resolution continuing its support of the Georgia Municipal Association's City of Ethics principles. Commissioners Bill Collins and Mark Cochran voted no.
Why it matters
The resolution keeps Rome on the Georgia Municipal Association's four-year City of Ethics recertification cycle, which is tied to a set of five ethics principles and pledges for commissioners. Recertification also determines whether the city will be recognized at a state event.
The Commission approved the resolution by a 6-2 vote, with Bill Collins and Mark Cochran opposed. The city's four-year recertification cycle depends on a Georgia Municipal Association review that has not yet been completed.
The players
Rome City Commission
The governing body of Rome, Georgia, which voted on the City of Ethics recertification resolution.
Georgia Municipal Association
A statewide association of Georgia cities that administers the City of Ethics program and its recertification cycle.
The details
The resolution lists five ethics principles and pledges for commissioners and continues Rome's participation in the Georgia Municipal Association's City of Ethics program. The program's original resolution and first city ethics ordinance were adopted in 2000, and the ethics ordinance was completely replaced in 2024.
Timeline
2000: Rome adopted its initial City of Ethics resolution and ordinance.
2024: The city's ethics ordinance was completely replaced.
Monday, November 9, 2026: The Commission held the recertification vote.
January 2027: Rome may be recognized at the United Cities Conference if recertified.
Legacy Ethics Framework
Rome first adopted its City of Ethics resolution and ordinance in 2000 under the Georgia Municipal Association program. The 2026 vote renews that commitment on the program's four-year cycle, following the 2024 replacement of the city's ethics ordinance.
The resolution sets the ethics principles and pledges that Rome commissioners follow during their terms. Residents can expect the city's ethics standards to remain under the Georgia Municipal Association program until the next recertification review.
The takeaway
Recertification keeps Rome's ethics standards under a state-level review cycle, so the city's commitments are periodically checked rather than set once and left alone. Residents interested in the principles can review the resolution at the Commission's next public meeting.
What happens next
If recertified, Rome will be recognized during the United Cities Conference in January 2027.
Further reading
For more on local government decisions, see City Hall coverage of Rome.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Rebel (WRBF FM).
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