I recently moved to Grantville, Georgia and on June 28, 2021, I attended a City Council Meeting. It was unbelievable what they talked about in a public session and how there was so much disrespect from one member to another.
I am a resident of Grantville and have become a citizen journalist to provide my community with news about their local government officials. I am retired police officer and have over 38 years working in the criminal justice.
My “end game” is to expose all the bad actors at Grantville city hall.
TYPES OF BAD ACTS OCCURRING:
Voting on issues which a member has a substantial financial interest in
Having property zoning titles changed for personal financial benefit
Election Integrity conflicts – submitting “Personal Financial Disclosure” statements with omitted personal financial information.
Collecting and keeping rent money from a city owned property
Displaying disrespect of other council members in public meetings
Holding closed door private meetings with other council members in direct violation of the law.
City official(s) acting as enablers for the bad acts occurring.
Patterns of violating oaths of office for personal financial gain
Failing to abide by state laws and the Grantville City Code of Ordinances.
LAWS TO UNDERSTAND
§ 45-10-3. Code of ethics for members of boards, commissions, and authorities –Establishment and text:
(1) Uphold the Constitution, laws, and regulations of the United States, the State
of Georgia, and all governments therein and never be a party to their evasion;
(2) Never discriminate by the dispensing of special favors or privileges to anyone, whether or not for remuneration;
(3) Not engage in any business with the government, either directly or indirectly, which is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of his governmental duties;
(8) Never engage in other conduct which is unbecoming to a member or which constitutes a breach of public trust; and
(9) Never take any official action with regard to any matter under circumstances in which he knows or should know that he has a direct or indirect monetary interest in the subject matter of such matter or in the outcome of such official action.
16-10-1 – Violation of oath by public officer – Any public officer (Elected Official included) who willfully and intentionally violates the terms of his oath as prescribed by law shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years.
21-5-50 – Filing by public officers; filing by candidates for
public office; filing by elected officials; filing by elected officials; each such public officer shall file with the commission, prior to January 31 each year, an affidavit confirming that such public officer took no official action in the previous calendar year that had a material effect on such public officer’s private financial or business interests.
§ 16-8-4. Theft by conversion – (a) A person commits the offense of theft by conversion when, having lawfully obtained funds or other property of another including, but not limited to, leased or rented personal property, under an agreement or other known legal obligation to make a specified application of such funds or a specified disposition of such property, he knowingly converts the funds or property to his own use in violation of the agreement or legal obligation. This Code section applies whether the application or disposition is to be made from the funds or property of another or from the accused’s own funds or property in equivalent amount when the agreement contemplates that the accused may deal with the funds or property of another as his own.
§ 16-10-20.1. Filing false documents – (b) Notwithstanding Code Sections 16-10-20 and 16-10-71, it shall be unlawful for any person to:
(1) Knowingly file, enter, or record any document in a public record or court of this state or of the United States knowing or having reason to know that such document is false or contains a materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or
(2) Knowingly alter, conceal, cover up, or create a document and file, enter, or record it in a public record or court of this state or of the United States knowing or having reason to know that such document has been altered or contains a materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation.
(c) Any person who violates subsection (b) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than one nor more than ten years, a fine not to exceed $10,000.00,
45-10-03(9): Never take any official action with regard to any matter under circumstances in which he knows or should know that he has a direct or indirect monetary interest in the subject matter of such matter or in the outcome of such official action.
Grantville Code of Ordinances
Sec. 2-174. – Conflict of interest.
A city official shall not participate in a vote or decision on a matter in which the official has a material financial interest; in addition, a city official who serves as a corporate officer or member of the board of
directors of a nonprofit corporation may not participate in a vote or decision regarding funding by or through the city of the corporation. Where the interest of a city official in the subject matter of a vote or
decision is remote or incidental, the city official may participate in the vote or decision after disclosing the interest.
Sec. 2-170. – Declaration of policy –
This Code has the following purposes:
To encourage high ethical standards in official conduct by city officials; To establish guidelines for ethical standards of conduct for all such officials by setting forth those acts and actions that are incompatible with the best interest of the city; To require disclosure by such officials of private financial or other interests in manners that
affect the city;
Sec. 2-173. – Standards of conduct –
No city official, in any matter before the mayor and council, board or commission in which he has a financial or relational interest, shall fail to disclose for the common good for the record such interest prior to any discussion or vote.
Sec. 2-172. – Definitions
- Remote interest means an interest of a person or entity, including a city official, which would be affected in the same way as the general public. The interest of a council member in the property tax rate, general city fees, city utility charges, or a comprehensive zoning ordinance or similar decisions is incidental to the extent
that the city official would be affected in common with the general public. Substantial interest means a material interest, either directly or through a member of the family, in another person or entity