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UPDATE: Doraville residents claim pols violated city, state ethics regulations
by Jonathan Cribbs
jonathan@dekalbchamp.com
A group of Doraville residents hoping to oust the city’s mayor, Ray Jenkins, and councilwoman Maria Alexander, believe the officials violated a series of broad city and state ethics regulations, according to documents filed with the county’s voter registration office.
The residents, which filed an application for recall for Jenkins and Alexander, claim the officials violated three city regulations that govern how city council members are required to act ethically. The application cited three laws, all of which are broad and essentially demand council members act in the public’s interest and not benefit personally from city business.
The second law asks that city officials and employees respect employees and members of the public. The state ethics code also broadly covers elected officials’ conduct.
Tom Hart, a former city councilman who served from 2006-07, declined to go into greater detail Thursday, but said he was meeting with attorney George Anderson, executive director of the Ethics in Government Group, who is handling the residents’ efforts to recall Jenkins and Alexander. Hart said he plans to release a statement April 10.
Jenkins and Alexander said April 7 they knew little about the group’s charges. Jenkins was elected to the council’s District 2 seat in 1974 and mayor in 2003. He was re-elected in 2007. Alexander was elected to the District 3 seat in 2008.
Doraville residents look to oust mayor, councilwoman
by Jonathan Cribbs
jonathan@dekalbchamp.com
A group of Doraville residents is looking to oust Mayor Ray Jenkins and councilwoman Maria Alexander. Details were scant Tuesday, and a statement with supporting information was being prepared for Wednesday morning, said Tom Hart, who served on the city council from 2006-2007 and is helping the concerned residents. The residents have already submitted an application with the city for a recall election, he said.
The complaint concerns Jenkins’ campaign fundraising and both Jenkins’ and Alexander’s conduct as city leaders, Hart said. Jenkins said he had heard briefly about the group’s intentions in a Monday night news report.
“I’m going to have to get some more information before I can even talk about it,” he said. “I have nothing to hide no matter what they got. I’m born and raised here. Since 1974, I’ve been in politics working for the city, and I’ve got no blemishes on me at all.”
Alexander also said she was unaware of the group’s accusations. Jenkins was elected to the council’s District 2 seat in 1974 and mayor in 2003. He was re-elected in 2007. Alexander was elected to the District 3 seat in 2008.
Check championnewspaper.com this week for continued updates.
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