Former deputy Sandra Davis tapped as new Clerk of Council after audit report

The Columbus Consolidated Government has turned to a former deputy in the Clerk of Council’s Office to guide the department four months after an audit uncovered missing contracts, minutes and some ordinances not properly updated.

Sandra Davis, who left the office in October 2014 to serve as Clerk of Commission for the Clayton County, Ga., Board of Commissioners, was selected by a City Council Sub Committee headed by Mayor Pro-tem Evelyn Turner Pugh, officials announced Friday. An audit released on Aug. 14 suggested having a certified person in the position with a solid foundation not just to move forward, but also for the future of the office.

A certified municipal clerk, Davis said she looks forward to the opportunity.

“I am grateful for this opportunity, this work is my passion,” she said. “I look forward to serving the citizens of Columbus and working with the City Council.”

She will be recommended to the full 10-member Columbus Council for approval at its first meeting in January 2019. Under the city charter, the council approves the positions of clerk and deputy clerk. The job was posted with an annual salary of $62,927.

In addition to the clerks position, Pugh said the board also will have to make sure there is some oversight in the Clerk of Council’s office.

Pugh and City Manager Isaiah Hugley are familiar with Davis as a deputy clerk at council meetings.

“With Sandra at the helm of the Clerk’s Office, I know the Office is in good hands; her professionalism and work performance speaks for itself,” Pugh said.

Hugley said Davis is well qualified to be Clerk of Council.

“She will do an excellent job,” he said.

The Clerk of Council is responsible for managing the agenda for council meetings, recording ordinances and resolutions adopted by the council and keeping accurate minutes. The position includes updating code of ordinances when changes are made and keeping information on 40 boards, committees and commissions among other duties.

Born and raised in Columbus, Davis started her career with the Consolidated Government in 1987, serving in Juvenile Court and the Clerk of Council’s Office. She served 18 years under Clerk of Council Tiny Washington, who has been on paid leave since Aug. 3, more than a week before the audit findings were released.

Davis is the youngest of nine children. She and her husband, Dwight, have two children and one grandson.

She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Troy University.

This story was originally published December 15, 2018 at 1:18 PM.