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Roswell mayor fights to keep job

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Roswell's mayor is fighting to keep his job.

A lawsuit alleging Jere Wood is illegally serving a fifth term in office went before a Fulton County Superior Court judge Monday.

Plaintiff Michael Litten's lawsuit claims a 2010 change to the city charter precluded Wood, who's been mayor for 20 years, from seeking another term.

Roswell Mayor Jere Wood

The change, ultimately approved by the North Fulton legislative delegation, capped a mayor’s term at 12 consecutive years.

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"My understanding, and I believe the council was clear, (was) that I could serve an additional three terms after the term I was then serving," Wood testified.  "I did not believe I was precluded from running."

Roswell City Attorney David Davidson testified it was, in fact, Wood who approached him about drafting the change, but he testified his impression was that if a change were made, it wouldn't take effect until Wood's term ended in 2012.

"I said that it would be prospective; be effective after the next election," he testified. 

Wood's attorneys questioned state Rep. Wendell Willard, who was among the delegation of lawmakers who approved the city's request.

Willard conceded he didn't read the language of the resolution closely, but that he believed it wasn't retroactive.

"I recognized it as only applying to mayors down the road," Willard said.

Litten's attorney, John Monroe, told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik he believes the law, as passed, didn't give Wood a pass.

"A bill means what the words say and not what the individual lawmakers might have to say about it," he said.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Craig Schwall didn't rule Monday.

Instead, he told both sides to submit their positions to him in writing by June 15.