Tag Archives: DeKalb County

Sunday voting in Lowndes County: second county in Georgia to authorize

Despite some confusion in the WALB story, the Lowndes County Board of Elections really is the second in the state to authorize Sunday voting, after a request from the Lowndes County Democratic Committee.

Dave Miller wrote for WALB 10 September 2014, Sunday voting OK’ed for Lowndes,

The Lowndes County Board of Elections announced Wednesday that Lowndes County will be the second county in Georgia to implement Sunday Voting.

Lowndes County Commissioners approved the proposal Tuesday. DeKalb County is the only other county in the state that currently allows Sunday voting.

I was at the Lowndes County Commission meeting Tuesday, and I never heard them mention this. So I called Lowndes County Election Supervisor Deb Cox and Continue reading →

Resignation, subpoenas, criminal charges: DeKalb County Commission corruption

Sometimes it doesn’t just look like they have something to hide: the FBI found some of what the DeKalb County Commmission was hiding, and one criminally-charged Commissioner promises to sing about the others, while 62 vendors and all the other sitting Commissioners are being investigated. No local elected body around here could have such problems, right?

The DeKalb FBI corruption investigation apparently started with news stories in the AJC. Coincidentally, here’s the board packet for tonight’s Lowndes County Commission meeting that it took an open records request for LAKE to get so you can see it.

20 February 2013, Fireworks erupt in court over DeKalb corruption case, by Jodie Fleischer for WSB-TV,

Only Channel 2’s Jodie Fleischer was there as a judge lashed out at prosecutors who want the public to see a secret corruption report.

The special grand jury investigating DeKalb County corruption Continue reading →

Change orders in DeKalb County

Manipulating construction contracts landed two former DeKalb County school employees in prison.

Rhonda Cook wrote for the AJC 9 December 2013, Former DeKalb schools COO gets 15 years: Judge rejects former superintendent Crawford Lewis’ deal for no jail time,

Prosecutors allege Reid sent work to her husband by presenting new work at Columbia as an extension of what he was already contracted to do and then Pope allegedly overcharged the district.

Prosecutors also contend Continue reading →

Corruption in DeKalb meets consequences

Bid rigging and kickbacks? I’m sure that’s only in Atlanta…. Anyway, it turns out it’s not so much DeKalb County that’s a slum as the county government.

Somebody at AJC wrote yesterday, DeKalb to review government restructuring,

A day after a yearlong investigation into DeKalb contracting was made public — a report that detailed a culture of corruption that permeates county government — DeKalb commissioners say they will review how the county is governed and seek changes.

A special purpose grand jury investigating contracting in DeKalb’s water department recommended the county get rid of its CEO form of government. DeKalb is almost singular in the authority it gives its CEO, a countywide elected official who runs the day-to-day operations of Georgia’s third-largest county.

That authority, according to the report, was used to steer tens of millions of dollars in contracts to favored vendors. Suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis has been charged with extortion for allegedly strongarming vendors into donating to his campaign.

Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May said the county will review its governing structure over the next 30 days and propose some recommendations on how to improve operations, especially contracting.