Commissioners’ claims draw responses from colleagues

ALBANY — Two Dougherty County Commission members responded to criticism from fellow commissioners about decisions to give a community advocate award and the selection of an attorney to represent the county in a court case at the close of a Monday commission meeting.

During the meeting the award and a proclamation were presented to William Wright, who has been a fixture at government meetings for several decades but has been absent in recent months due to his health. A group that attended Monday’s meeting to honor Wright included former Albany City Commissioner Arthur K. Williams, who praised Wright’s advocacy over the years, from his union organizing work to urging for more minority participation in government contracts.

At the close of the meeting, as commissioners were asked for final remarks, Commissioner Gloria Gaines addressed comments made by Commissioners Russell Gray and Ed Newsome in a story that appeared in Sunday’s edition of The Albany Herald.

The two said they were not informed of the award being given on Monday prior to learning it had been placed on Facebook. They also said that they were not consulted about the hiring of an attorney who represented the county at a June personnel hearing for former County Administrator Michael McCoy and have not seen an invoice outlining the costs associated with that representation.

The commission, in a 4-3 vote, terminated McCoy in May, and since that time the former administrator has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the county.

“To piggyback off what Commissioner Gaines said, our past attorney (Spencer Lee), he never showed us an invoice” when the county retained outside counsel, Commissioner Victor Edwards said. “When we talk about consulting attorneys, we never saw an invoice.

“When it comes to proclamations, you have a right to recognize somebody in your district. When (former Commission Chairman) Chris (Cohilas) was here, he didn’t tell us everything. I think it is telling we get criticized for doing good. When you see Mr. Wright, who got cut up (in a knife attack) in his house just for starting a union, he spilled blood.”

Following the meeting, Gaines told a Herald reporter that she had never voted for an outside attorney or on a proclamation during her tenure on the board.

Like Gray and Newsome said in their comments, Gaines said she likewise has not seen an invoice from the attorney who represented the county in June.

The County Code is “silent” on whether the county attorney has to discuss the selection of an outside counsel with the commission, Gaines said, so the lack of such a discussion is not a violation.

“I’ve never seen an invoice,” she said. “There is no hidden agenda there. I know we can always look at things as somebody is going to do something wrong, but that is not the case.

“We have to recognize there are different perceptions. There is no evil intent. There’s different perspectives, but it’s always within the law and our procedures.”

During the meeting, Gray said the concern was that some commissioners are not being included in discussion and decisions. Being on the end of a losing vote is different than being included in a discussion and making the decision in public, he said.

“Several of us had concerns that decisions are being made without our inclusion,” he said. “I do have a problem when voices are not included in government.

“Just because a consensus is reached does not mean you don’t include all members of the board in reaching that decision. It’s the people’s government, and we do everything out in the public.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
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