Laws, finances, and ethics were on the program agenda for the more than 200 freshman mayors and council members who attended the Newly Elected Officials Institute February 16-17 in Athens. The program is conducted by the Vinson Institute and the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA).

Georgia state law mandates that municipal officials elected after 1991 attend training designed specifically for new officials. The Newly Elected Institute provides an opportunity for newly elected officials to learn about city government operations in general and their roles and responsibilities in particular. Sessions at the February 2008 program were conducted by Vinson Institute faculty, GMA staff, and experienced city government officials. Participants also had the opportunity to network with each other during informal breaks and roundtable discussions based on the size of their city populations.

A similar Newly Elected Officials Institute was held March 7-8 at the Regional Development Center/University of Georgia Conference Center in Tifton.