Left to right: Commissioner Kecia Cunningham, Mayor Jim Baskett and City Manager Peggy Merriss listen to a presentation during the Sept. 2 City Commission meeting. File Photo by Dan Whisenhunt

A new year means some housekeeping items are in order for the Decatur City Commission.

Decatur City Commissioners will meet on Jan. 5 and will select the mayor and mayor pro tem for 2015. The meeting will be held at 7:30 pm at Decatur City Hall, located at 509 North McDonough Street. All meetings are open to the public.

Unlike Avondale Estates, where the mayor is elected, in Decatur the mayor and mayor pro tem are commissioners elected by fellow commissioners at the first meeting of the calendar year.

The mayor and pro tem serve one year terms. Mayor Jim Baskett was first elected by fellow commissioners in 2013, succeeding Bill Floyd who resigned his commission seat to take a consulting job. Commissioner Kecia Cunningham was elected pro tem in 2013.

Both were reappointed to another term in January 2014.

The mayor has certain official duties under the city’s charter. Decatur’s mayor makes $500 a month, $100 more than the pro tem and other commissioners. The mayor serves as the city’s official head of government for ceremonial purposes, but wields no veto powers. Most importantly, the mayor chairs commission meetings and has the power to convene meetings. The mayor pro tem serves in the mayor’s absence, according to the charter.

In addition to selecting its officers, the commission will also consider reappointing Bryan Downs as the city’s attorney and reappointing Berryl A. Anderson, Lindsay R.M. Jones, Robert Leitch and Rhathalia Stroud as Municipal Court Judges and Thomas Stubbs and Tisha Tallman as Substitute Municipal Judges.