Madison Mayor Fred Perriman became the 91st president of the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) during the annual GMA convention held June 23 in Savannah.
Perriman has served as GMA’s first, second, and third vice president. During his three years on the board of directors, he also chaired the Legislative Policy Council, Federal Policy Council, and Member Services Advisory Council.
According to the GMA, Perriman embraced the “Imagine the Possible” theme in his acceptance speech.
Perriman also praised the Mayor’s Reading Club program created by Georgia City Solutions.
“This initiative shows our young people that their leaders are committed to their success,” he said.
He also shared a personal anecdote about how reading transformed his life. “I still recall Mrs. Stinson, my first-grade teacher, handing me my first book in a small, segregated church school. That simple gesture changed my life.
“Literacy lays the foundation for a brighter future for our communities,” Perriman told the audience.
Perriman has served Madison for over 40 years as a city council member and mayor. As a member of the Downtown Development Authority, he played a key role in revitalizing Madison’s city center, including creating Town Park in the downtown area between Jefferson and Washington streets.
According to the GMA, Perriman’s contributions to the Urban Renewal Plan improved living standards for 350 households over 300 acres. Notable projects include Silver Lakes Court, which has 44 senior housing units, and Canaan Crossing, which has 60 townhomes and apartments for lower-income families.
Perriman served as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Lincolnton for nearly 20 years and is the co-founder and president of the Morgan County African American Museum, which opened in 1995. He volunteers with various organizations, including the local food pantry, and participates in Georgia City Solutions’ Mayors Reading Club. He has also served on numerous boards and committees.
Perriman has lived in Madison his entire life and attended the old Pearl High School. He is still active in the alumni group.
Perriman has been married to Marie for 53 years. The couple has three daughters, Phalanda Perriman, Crystal Bruno, and Angela Dogins, as well as three grandchildren. Marie worked at the Bank of Madison before retiring and was the favorite teller for many customers.
“He just always had this love for the community,” Marie Perriman told the GMA. “People would call him, and no matter what it was, he would get ready to go. He would go out to see what he could do. And that was before he was on the city council.”
Alfred Murray told a GMA videographer that Fred Perriman loves Madison.
“I’ve known him virtually all of his life,” Murray said. “He’s a hard worker, dedicated to his community, enjoys helping others, willing to give of himself to be sure that others are helped along the way.”
Councilman Rick Blanton called Perriman “Mr. Madison.”
“He is the epitome of what a small-town mayor should be,” Blanton said. “He’s patient, he’s kind, and he has an ability to treat people fairly.”
Perriman said he decided to get into politics because he lived in a neglected part of Madison.
“It doesn’t matter where you came from,” Perriman said. “What matters is where you’re going. But I’m grateful for where I am right now, and I believe GMA will continue to be one of the most successful organizations in Georgia, which make all our cities better places to live and serve.”
“The residents of Madison love Mayor Perriman,” Councilmember Carrie Peters’ Reid told GMA. “He has a calm spirit. He’s always the mediator. He’s going to get us out of the rabbit hole and get things back to where they need to be.”
“We are so proud of Mayor Perriman, and Madison is so lucky to claim him as our own,” Karen Wibell said, commenting on a YouTube video posted by the GMA.
The GMA was created in 1933 and currently represents 536 cities in Georgia.
According to the GMA website, cities comprise just 9% of the state’s land area. Still, the nearly 4.8 million people who reside in Georgia cities represent 44% of the total state population.
The GMA website says cities also tend to be more racially diverse, with 1.1 white residents for every Black resident. In contrast, in unincorporated areas, there are 2.4 white residents for every Black resident.
Despite covering just 9% of the state land area, cities are home to 42% of all single-family and 74% of all multifamily housing structures in Georgia.
Madison’s District 2 councilman, Eric Joyce, serves as president of District 5 on the GMA board of directors.
Eatonton council member Janie Reid was also named a district president on the GMA Board of Directors. Eatonton Mayor John Reid served as President of the GMA in 2012 and still serves on GMA advisory boards.