Council votes to request suspension of mayor

ALBANY — After a felony indictment on sex-related charges and months of controversy, the Dawson City Council has formally requested Mayor Christopher Wright take a voluntary suspension from office.

At a meeting Thursday, the council, by majority vote, decided that in order to avoid further “public spectacle” for the city, that Wright should ask Gov. Nathan Deal for a voluntary suspension, according to a letter sent to Wright by Dawson City Attorney Tommy Coleman.

“I believe in this situation, council members had received quite a lot of pressure from the public to do something,” said Coleman.

In a letter to Wright, Coleman wrote, “The matter of your status came before the Dawson City Council at their regularly scheduled meeting August 11, 2016. By majority vote, the Council requests that you write the Governor and ask for a voluntary suspension under the conditions provided under Georgia law.”

Wright has been the center of controversy since he became mayor of Dawson in 2012 at the age of 22.

In March of 2013, Wright drew scrutiny from the City Council for using a city-owned vehicle for personal use. Later that same year, in October, Wright was the victim of a shooting at his Dawson home. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and remained in critical condition for some time.

In February 2016, during a GBI child molestation investigation, Wright was implicated by the victim, who at the time of the incident was 12 years old. Wright was indicted in June on charges of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, rape, child molestation and statutory rape.

Another incident involving Wright occurred a month later, on July 16, when he was cited in Albany for impersonating a police officer, blue lights restricted and aggressive driving.

“There has been talk among citizens of the embarrassment and of their wishes that the mayor resign from office,” said Dawson City Manager Barney Parnacott.

According to officials, Wright’s behavior has “cast a dark shadow” over the small community.

“As you know, the City is engaged in the important business of protecting the citizens of Dawson, engaging in economic development projects and attempting to improve the quality of life in the community,” Coleman wrote in the letter to Wright. “A prolonged public debate regarding your status will certainly be a distraction to the City during this tumultuous period. Obviously, a hearing as contemplated under O.C.G.A. 45-5-6 before the review commission would dominate public discussion regarding the role of the City and the work undertaken by members of the City Council and the administration. Consequently, your voluntary suspension would reduce the public spectacle of a hearing and calm the atmosphere in our community surrounding your status. The Council trusts you will take this avenue which they believe is in the best interest of the citizens of the City of Dawson.”

Should Wright adhere to the requests of the City Council and ask for a voluntary suspension from the governor, under O.C.G.A. 45-5-6 (e) he would still be eligible to receive compensation in the same amount and manner that he is currently receiving.

Wright was unavailable for comment.