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DEL.ICIO.USWhere snits, tension abound
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you want to get a cross-section of the people in any community, stop by the local diner.
It’s where I landed Wednesday in Snellville, the town where “Everybody’s Somebody,” and where the City Council is competing with Lithonia officials and the Clayton County school board for a special title: “The most dysfunctional governing body in metro Atlanta.”
The Snellville Diner sits in a plaza, sharing anchor duties with Big Lots and Provino’s Restaurant. I was walking into the eatery when I spotted Theron Carman. He was picking up dry cleaning. An Atlanta native, he’s lived within the city limits of the ‘Ville 22 years. He’s seen the mayoral reigns of Emmett Clower [26 years] and Brett Harrell, who served one four-year term in early 2000.
Carman says he’s never seen anything like the current bunch. Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer and a five-member City Council can’t seem to do anything but fuss, belittle each other and call names. In Snellville, politics is personal. A bloodsport. Ugly and disgraceful, too.
“It’s hard to figure out unless you’re at all the meetings,” Carman said. “It’s a totally divided group. It seems like the city leaders got along better years ago, even under Clower.”
That would be Emmett Clower. Every person I talked to Wednesday mentioned him, if not by name, by his profession. He’s a photographer. The Badie Tour stopped by his studio to chat Wednesday, but no one was in.
Maybe next time.
Clower’s political demise and Harrell’s rise were supposed to usher in a new era and vision for Snellville. The town would move into the 21st century, establish an identity, urbanize. Transition hasn’t been easy. Locals I talked to Wednesday talked about a battle between camps - supporters of the old guard and newcomers who support a vision begun under Harrell and continued by Oberholtzer.
And because of that rift, we have Checkgate.
Councilwoman Kelly Kautz wants an investigation into a $31,000-plus check that was written without the board’s consent. The check went to the Gwinnett Municipal Association. Apparently no one authorized it. But here’s the rub: The check was issued on Oct. 11, 2007, with the stamped signatures of the city clerk and the mayor. It makes for great headlines, but why bring this up now?
Then there’s the defamation lawsuit: Councilman Robert Jenkins vs. his predecessor, Joe Anderson. Jenkins has asked the state appeals court to hear his complaint that Anderson falsely accused him of bribery and stalked him in an attempt to keep him out of office. The lawsuit was filed last year.
Finally, there’s the vacant city manager’s position. Jim Brooks had been hired as interim city manager, but the mayor didn’t want to extend Brooks’ contract. Oberholtzer has been filling in, so to speak, but he says he doesn’t actually tell city workers what to do. Mayor Pro Tem Warren Auld sought the opinion of state Attorney General Thurbert Baker. Baker ruled that the mayor cannot legally fill the vacant city manager’s spot. Big deal, Oberholtzer said in so many words.
So what do we have here in Snellville, where everybody’s somebody?
“The Mickey Mouse club,” said Jack Kujawa, who lives outside the city limits. I shared a diner booth with him and Jackie, his wife of 50 years. They compared town antics to Lithonia and the Clayton County school board.
Besides the old guard-new guard battles, Kujawa thinks another issue has caused a town rift: Sunday liquor sales. In November 2004, voters in a nonbinding referendum condoned the sale of liquor in restaurants on Sunday.
But in a 3-2 vote, the council adopted an amended law that cuts off alcohol sales at midnight and bans them on Sundays. Then-Mayor Pro Tem Chad Smith and then-council member Bruce Garraway, along with current board member Warren Auld, voted for the revised ordinance that disregarded the results of the referendum.
“That was a big thing,” said Kujawa, who doesn’t imbibe. Despite the craziness of this depraved circus, residents I talked to on and off the record hold hope that a change is going to come, that egos, pettiness and vindictiveness will subside.
For the sake of the town.
“It has to,” Carman said.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment | Categories: Rick Badie
Comments
By Katie
May 8, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
In my neighborhood, the gathering spot is the local car wash next to QT. All hispanic, all Spanish speakers. If I went to the local diner, which there isn’t one, I’d be one of a handful of people there.
By Cindy
May 8, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
Gee thanks Badie. I haven’t even unpacked everything yet and now I need to move out of Snellville while the gettin’ is good.
By MJK
May 8, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this
Isn’t it a requirement for local governments to be dysfunctional?
By LT5000
May 8, 2008 11:07 AM | Link to this
Lithonia, which is also in Gwinnett, is a much bigger problem than the snits in Snellville.
However, there is an obvious reason Badie didn’t write an aritcle about that “depraved circus”.
LT5000
By Jais AAA Duluth
May 8, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this
You know what though, at least this blog is closer to the point. Golf clap for step in the right direction. As for LT5000 he’s probably right. Whetever happened to the days when us citizens got together in a barn and talked about what to do and DID it? I got my pitchfork right here and my wagon is hitched. Any takers?
By Cindy
May 8, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this
Can we have a rat killin?
By Just another day at the office
May 8, 2008 3:56 PM | Link to this
LT5000 - might want to check your local geography. Last I knew, Lithonia is in DeKalb County. Not sur what your point was in assuming both Snellville and Lithonia are in Gwinnett. Egotistical behavior knows no boundary, as you so often prove.
By LT5000
May 8, 2008 4:37 PM | Link to this
I stand corrected. Off by about 3 miles.
However, it still doesn’t detract from my point.
And I am man enough to admit when I am wrong.
LT5000
By To LT
May 8, 2008 9:44 PM | Link to this
Man enough. Heh.
By Confused
May 8, 2008 11:27 PM | Link to this
So after reading this, can someone explain to me why Oberholtzer is the target of all the negativity? What gives? Sounds like it’s others on council out to get him. Not vice-versa.
By what the $%^#
May 9, 2008 7:07 AM | Link to this
When looking at the actions of local politicians I always look to see who has shown themselves to be looking for higher office or further their political / business aspirations. Seems to me that one (quoted) Councilperson has already run for higher office and was defeated. The Council passed a budget amendment a couple of months ago that included the 30K. If someone had such an issue with these funds and the way they were spent wouldn’t that have been the time to “Stand up for Snellville”?
By Dennis
May 9, 2008 8:20 AM | Link to this
Just for clarity: Lithonia is in DeKalb. Their zip code stretches into Gwinnett. Like Duluth zip code crosses the river into Fulton.
By MySnellvilleBlogDotCom
May 9, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
They provide great blog posts though, don’t they?
By Jais AAA Duluth
May 9, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this
All in favor of the rat killin say I.
By Cindy
May 9, 2008 1:17 PM | Link to this
I
I was beginning to think nobody would get it…it’s Jerry Clower.
By Gandalf, the Grey
May 9, 2008 2:04 PM | Link to this
Audacity of Change? Anyone? OBAMA for Mayor of Snellville!
By Regular Joe
May 9, 2008 3:42 PM | Link to this
The Gwinnett zip code portion of Lithonia was changed to Snellville 30039 about 10 years or so ago.
By Mark
May 10, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this
So Rick, Did you enjoy your visit to Snellfrica?
By Agitatter
May 14, 2008 8:11 PM | Link to this
LunaTic 5000. You really crack me up.