State, county code is clear: Dougherty County Commission broke the law

Carlton Fletcher, The Albany Herald, Ga.
·7 min read

May 31—ALBANY — With Monday's Memorial Day holiday pushing the Dougherty County Commission's next meeting forward until June 5, county officials have a few days left to ponder the fallout from the rash decision of four commissioners to terminate County Administrator Mike McCoy on May 22.

In taking such action during a regular meeting and under circumstances that do not follow state law, Commission Chairman Lorenzo Heard and Commissioners Gloria Gaines, Clinton Johnson and Victor Edwards have violated the state's Open Meetings Act in a number of ways, not the least of which was holding a vote during a meeting that had not been advertised and adding an item to a posted agenda without unanimous consent of the board.

kAm~]r]v]p] § d_\'c\e >2:?2= >:D56>62?@C 7@C 2?J@?6 E@ :?E6?E:@?2==J G:@=2E6 E96 ~A6? |66E:?8D p4Eik^Am

kAmp?J A6CD@? 66E:?8 :? G:@=2E:@? @7 E9:D 492AE6C D92== 36 8F:=EJ @7 2 >:D56>62?@C 2?5 FA@? 4@?G:4E:@? D92== 36 AF?:D965 3J 2 7:?6 ?@E E@ 6I4665 S'[___] p=E6C?2E:G6=J[ 2 4:G:= A6?2=EJ >2J 36 :>A@D65 3J E96 4@FCE :? 2?J 4:G:= 24E:@? 3C@F89E AFCDF2?E E@ E9:D 492AE6C 282:?DE 2?J A6CD@? H9@ ?68=:86?E=J G:@=2E6D E96 E6C>D @7 E9:D 492AE6C :? 2? 2>@F?E ?@E E@ 6I4665 S'[___ 7@C E96 7:CDE G:@=2E:@?]k^Am

kAmpAA=:423=6 DE2E6 =2H 2=D@ >2>:DD:@?6CD :D :==682= 2?5 :D ?@E 24EF2==J 3:?5:?8]k^Am

kAm~]r]v]p] § d_\'c\' D2JD[ :? A2CEik^Am

kAmW'X tI46AE 2D @E96CH:D6 AC@G:565 3J =2H[ 2== >66E:?8D D92== 36 @A6? E@ E96 AF3=:4] p== G@E6D 2E 2?J >66E:?8 D92== 36 E266E:?8 2?5 4@>A=:2?46 H:E9 E96 A@DE:?8 2?5 286?52 C6BF:C6>6?ED]k^Am

kAmWaX p?J C6D@=FE:@?[ CF=6[ C68F=2E:@?[ @C5:?2?46 @C @E96C @77:4:2= 24E:@? @7 2? 286?4J 25@AE65[ E2256 2E 2 >66E:?8 H9:49 :D ?@E @A6? E@ E96 AF3=:4 2D C6BF:C65 3J E9:D 492AE6C D92== ?@E 36 3:?5:?8] p?J 24E:@? 4@?E6DE:?8 2 C6D@=FE:@?[ CF=6[ C68F=2E:@?[ @C5:?2?46 @C @E96C 7@C>2= 24E:@? @7 2? 286?4J 32D65 @? 2? 2==6865 G:@=2E:@? @7 E9:D AC@G:D:@? D92== 36 4@>>6?465 H:E9:? h_ 52JD @7 E96 52E6 DF49 4@?E6DE65 24E:@? H2D E2:?:DEC2E@C 3FE H2D DF>>2C:=J 5:D>:DD65 3J E96 7@FC 4@>>:DD:@?6CD 367@C6 96'5 6G6? DE2CE65 E96 ;@3 — @E96C 4@>>:DD:@?6CD @C >6>36CD @7 E96 AF3=:4 4@F=5 3C:?8 492C86D 282:?DE E96 4@>>:DD:@?[ D@ =@?8 2D E96J 5@ D@ H:E9:? h_ 52JD @7 E96 G:@=2E:@?]k^Am

kAm}6:E96C E96 "6I64FE:G6 D6DD:@?" E92E H2D 42==65 5FC:?8 E96 >66E:?8 ?@C "E6C>:?2E:@? @7 r@F?EJ p5>:?:DEC2E@C" H2D @? E96 286?52] |@C6@G6C[ w62C5 5:5 ?@E D66@C @3E2:? F?2?:>@FD 4@?D6?E E@ 255 E96 6I64FE:G6 D6DD:@? @C 5:D4FDD:@? C682C5:?8 C6>@G:?8 |4r@J 7C@> 9:D 2AA@:?E>6?E E@ E96 286?52] %9:D :D :>A@CE2?E 3642FD6 w62C5 4@F=5 92G6 WH:E9 E96 F?2?:>@FD 4@?D6?E @7 2== 4@>>:DD:@?6CDX 25565 5:D4FDD:@? W2D @AA@D65 E@ 2 G@E6 @? C6>@G:?8 |C] |4r@JX E@ E96 286?52]k^Am

kAmw62C5 5:5 ?@E A=246 E96 :DDF6 @7 C6>@G:?8 |4r@J 7C@> @77:46 @? E96 286?52] w6 7FCE96C 5:5 ?@E 42== 2 DA64:2= >66E:?8 E92E H@F=5 92G6 8:G6? E96 AF3=:4 25G2?46 ?@E:46 E92E 2 G@E6 H@F=5 36 E2@G6 E96 4@F?EJ 25>:?:DEC2E@C] w6 7FCE96C 5:5 ?@E 6G6? D66E@ 92G6 F?2?:>@FD 4@?D6?E 7@C 5:D4FDD:@? C682C5:?8 C6>@G:?8 E96 25>:?:DEC2E@C @? E96 286?52] %9:D :D 2 G:@=2E:@? @7 $64] a\a\a_ @7 s@F896CEJ r@F?EJ'D r@56 2D H6== 2D 8=2C:?8 G:@=2E:@?D @7 v6@C8:2'D ~A6? |66E:?8D p4E]k^Am

kAm%9@D6 H9@ 2EE6?565 2 DA64:2= 42==65 >66E:?8 @? E96 %9FCD52J 27E6C |4r@J'D 7:C:?8 D9@F=5 C6>6>36C D66:?8 E9:D =2DE 3:E @7 =68:D=2E:@? AFE :?E@ AC24E:46] s@F896CEJ r@F?EJ pEE@C?6J p=6I $92=:D92=:[ C6DA@?5:?8 E@ r@>>:DD:@?6C #FDD6== vC2J'D 2EE6>AE E@ 42== 7@C 2 >@E:@? E@ C6D4:?5 E96 7:C:?8 @7 |4r@J — 2?5[ :? 6DD6?46[ qC@@@E:@? 4@F=5 @?=J 36 >256 H:E9 F?2?:>@FD 4@?D6?E @7 E96 3@2C5[ 24E:@? ?@E E2A@CE2?E E@ ?@E6 E92E E96 AF3=:4 H2D @?=J 8:G6? ?@E:46 @7 E96 H@CD6DD:@? 286?52 5FC:?8 E96 |2J aa >66E:?8[ H9:49 5@6D ?@E 4@?E6>A=2E6 @C 8:G6 ?@E:46 @7 2?J @77:4:2= 24E:@? E@ 36 E2@E:@? E@ C6>@G6 |4r@J H:E9@FE 8:G:?8 AC@A6C ?@E:46] %9:D :D :>A@CE2?E 3642FD6 E96 AF3=:4 H2D 56AC:G65 @7 2?J @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ @776C 4@>>6?E[ 766532466E:?8 3642FD6 E96J H6C6 F?2H2C6 E92E E96 4@F?EJ H@F=5 E2@G6 :ED 4@F?EJ 25>:?:DEC2E@C]k^Am

kAms@F896CEJ r@F?EJ r@56 AC@G:56D E92E E96 4@F?EJ 25>:?:DEC2E@C :D 6I4=FD:G6=J G6DE65 H:E9 E96 A@H6CD E@ 2AA@:?E[ 2?5 H96? :? 9:D 5:D4C6E:@? E96 H6=72C6 @7 E96 4@F?EJ C6BF:C6D :E[ DFDA6?5[ 5:D492C86[ EC2?D76C @C C6>@G6 2== 6>A=@J66D 7@C H9@> E96 D2:5 3@2C5 :D C6DA@?D:3=6[ 6I46AE E96 4@F?EJ 2EE@C?6J 2?5 E96 49:67 @7 E96 4@F?EJ A@=:46[ H9@ D92== 36 2AA@:?E65 5:C64E=J 3J E96 3@2C5]k^Am

kAmr@F?EJ 4@56 2=D@ D2JD E92E E96 4@F?EJ 25>:?:DEC2E@C :D DF3;64E E@ DFDA6?D:@? @C C6>@G2= 7C@> @77:46 2E 2?J E:>6 7@C ;FDE 42FD6] x? 42D6 @7 DFDA6?D:@? @C C6>@G2=[ E96 25>:?:DEC2E@C >FDE 36 8:G6? 2 HC:EE6? DE2E6>6?E @7 E96 C62D@?D 7@C DF49 24E:@?] w6 E96? >2J[ H:E9:? 7:G6 52JD 7C@> C646:AE @7 E96 DE2E6>6?E[ C6BF6DE 2 AF3=:4 962C:?8 367@C6 E96 3@2C5 @7 4@>>:DD:@?6CD]k^Am

kAmxE 2=D@ D9@F=5 36 ?@E65 E92E[ :? E96 42D6 @7 qC@@>:DD:@?6CD 5@6D ?@E 92G6 E96 A@H6C E@ 9:C6 2?5^@C 7:C6 2DD:DE2?E 4@F?EJ 25>:?:DEC2E@CD] pD ?@E65 23@G6[ E9:D A@H6C :D D@=6=J 8C2?E65 E@ E96 4@F?EJ 25>:?:DEC2E@C H9@ :D 492C865 H:E9 E96 6I4=FD:G6 5FEJ @7 9:C:?8 2?5^@C 7:C:?8 6>A=@J66D @7 E96 4@F?EJ]k^Am

kAmpD E96 AC:?4:A=6D :?G@=G65 A@?56C E96D6 :DDF6D[ E96 4@>>:DD:@? :D 6IA64E65 E@ ?2>6 r9:67 u:?2?4:2= ~77:46C |2CE92 w6?5=6J :ED :?E6C:> 4@F?EJ 25>:?:DEC2E@C] $:?46 E96 7:C:?8 @7 |4r@J[ E96 4@F?EJ 92D ?@E 925 E96 42A23:=:EJ @7 =682==J A2J:?8 :ED 3:==D[ D:?46 E96 4@F?EJ 92D D6E FA 2 DJDE6> 3J H9:49 D:8?2EFC6D @7 E96 ru~ 2?5 4@F?EJ 25>:?:DEC2E@C 2C6 C6BF:C65 E@ D:8? @77 @? A2J>6?ED]k^Am