MARIETTA - Mayor Steve "Thunder" Tumlin said there's no need to have his own parking space at City Hall when it can be used by an employee of the month instead.

The mayor's parking space sparked heated debate a few years ago between former Mayor Bill Dunaway and Councilman Philip Goldstein.

Previous mayors never had a reserved parking space until Dunaway's predecessor, the late Mayor Ansley Meaders, received one when she was diagnosed with cancer, the Journal reported at the time. The space in question is next to the entrance of City Hall on the ground floor of the parking deck with a reserved sign and hatch marks on the pavement.

Under Meaders, the sign was simply marked "reserved." But after Dunaway took over, the sign was changed to "reserved parking for mayor only." The change prompted Goldstein to say that an "able-bodied" man such as Dunaway didn't need a reserved space, and that in any event, such a change had not been authorized by the City Council, whose seven members do not have reserved spaces. Dunaway accused Goldstein of conducting an attack on the mayor's office, and the two slugged it out through a series of blistering e-mails.

The sign was eventually changed back to simply stating "reserved" for the remainder of Dunaway's tenure.

The flap prompted Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon to make a tongue-in-cheek offer for Dunaway to have a parking space at Smyrna's City Hall.

During Wednesday's committee meeting, Tumlin, who is in his first month in office, announced that he didn't want the reserved space. Tumlin used a quote from the Book of Matthew on what motivated his decision, saying: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Tumlin said his personal philosophy is that "leaders of an organization should put others first."

When it comes to such things as parking, citizens and city staff should receive the more convenient spots over elected officials, Tumlin said. The mayor said his goal is to have the mayor's space go to the "Best of the Best" of city employees as recognized monthly, or used by staff when one is physically impaired. He downplayed his decision, saying he did the same thing as a merchant. And at his church, First United Methodist Church, the church encourages board members to park a distance away for the convenience of guests, he said.

"Further, I did not want the world to know that the mayor drives a truck by leaving it out front for all to see," Tumlin said with a smile.

Goldstein congratulated Tumlin on the move.

"Thunder is certainly doing it in the right spirit," Goldstein said.

Former Gov. Roy Barnes and Cobb Chairman Sam Olens also praised Tumlin, saying the action confirms that Mariettans elected the right man in November.

"He looks after his employees and citizens before himself. What a great example - one all public servants should emulate," Barnes said.

As for Bacon's offer to keep a space reserved in Smyrna for Marietta's mayor, Tumlin said he'd hold onto that one.