Camilla citizens’ opinions mixed after Gov. Kemp’s suspension of mayor

CAMILLA – The suspension of Camilla Mayor Kelvin Owens has divided the community in the southwest Georgia city with a population of about 5,100.

Gov. Brian Kemp issued the suspension on Thursday, after a review commission appointed by the governor reported that Owens’ indictment on charges of election interference and conspiracy in connection with the Nov. 4 election.

In his executive order, Kemp said that the review commission found that the May indictment “does relate to and adversely affect the administration of the office of the mayor of Camilla such that the rights and interests of the public are adversely affected.”

Owens was indicted on charges of interference with elections and two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud. 

Also indicted at the same time by the Mitchell County Grand Jury were former Camilla Election Superintendent Rhunette Williford and City Clerk Cheryl Ford.

Ford was indicted on three counts of interference with elections, conspiracy to commit election fraud and two counts of failure of a public officer to perform her duties.

Williford was indicted on two counts of interference with elections, conspiracy to commit election fraud and failure of a public officer to perform her duties.

Ford and Williiford are accused of resigning the day prior to the election to prevent voting in the special election for two Camilla City Council positions.

Prior to the election a Superior Court Judge ordered that signs be placed at Camilla City Hall stating that any votes cast for former council member Venterra Pollard would not be counted in the contest. Earlier, a judge had ordered that Pollard, who was ruled not to be a city resident, a ruling upheld by the Georgia Court of Appeals, should withdraw his candidacy, which he refused to do.

Due to the resignations of Ford and Williford the election was initially canceled, but a judge appointed new election officials and voting started shortly before 4 p.m. and was extended to 3:50 a.m. on Nov. 7.

According to the indictment, Owens canceled the election on Nov. 5, and on election day ordered Camilla police officers to prevent poll workers and officers from entering city hall. He also is accused of ordering the removal of election signage and personally placing a sign at the polling place announcing the cancellation.

Speaking with a Herald reporter while picking up his mail on Friday, Camilla resident Tony Redden said he did not agree with the governor’s decision. He also said he thinks the election was not legitimate since the city’s election officials had resigned.

“You can’t have an election without an election supervisor,” he said. “That’s when he said: ‘I can’t have an election. I can’t open the doors.’ You had them resign the day before and you don’t have anybody there. You can’t have an election.”

“I think they suspended him (Owens) for the wrong reasons. It came from the state. The mayor can’t run an election. He can’t be an election superintendent.”

The Camilla resident also said he thought that Owens had done a good job as mayor, including bringing new businesses to the city.

“Mayor Owens has been a pretty fair mayor since he’s been here,” Redden said. “There’s been a lot of changes since he’s been here.”

In one instance, he said, Owens had a fence separating the black and white sections of a cemetery on Martin Luther King Jr. Road removed and ensured that the cemetery is kept clean.

“You see him walking around, in stores, he talks to people,” Redden said. “He’s a very friendly person. I like that. That’s something that every official needs to do, talk to people. He talks to everyone, and that’s nice. He’s a good mayor.”

Online, the opinions about the mayor were mixed. 

On the Camilla for Transparency Facebook page, the author said that Owens gave a television interview prior to the election in which he stated he had voted for Pollard and that “his vote better count,” showing impartiality and a willingness to disenfranchise voters.

“Every order issued by the Mitchell County Superior Court has been appealed and upheld,” it said.

In an unrelated post Timothy Lee Miller sr. wrote that the damage caused by the suspension may be “irreparable.”

“The bitterness, hatred and division may never be healed,” he said, in the post. “Many of us finally saw Camilla moving forward for everyone.  But now our city council will be locked in (gridlock), useless with silent animosity filling the chamber. I mourn for our city to have statesmen instead of politicians. I mourn for authorities to have a care about the whole city rather than a few that hunger and desire power.”

In downtown Camilla on Friday, Wilma Gray said that she has no side in the conflict. Gray, who said she attends nearly every council meeting, is leaving it in other hands.

“I put that in the Lord’s hands,” she said. “I’m praying for his will to be, whatever is done. I’m praying for everybody concerned. 

“If I were to say something, it would be my opinion, and my opinion don’t mean anything. We just want hearts changed. I’m interested in the city. I want to see the city grow. I want to see it grow in the right way.”