DeKalb official sanctioned for private work on county time

Channel 2's Richard Belcher has learned this is not the first time the official has been reprimanded

A DeKalb County department director who collected government pay for the same day that he received a $500 fee from a private organization is being sanctioned by the county.

DeKalb Beautification Director Marcus Kellum, whose government salary was $104,676 last year, was charged for one day of annual leave time, according to a Nov. 15 memo from DeKalb Chief Operating Officer Zach Williams.

Channel 2 Action News first reported last month that Kellum ran a private consulting business that advertised the same hours as his taxpayer-funded government job. During a February 2015 trip to Savannah, he received a $500 fee to speak at a Georgia Association of Code Enforcement conference while also being paid by the county.

“You are not allowed to be compensated for speaking engagements while on county time,” Williams wrote in the memo. “Please be advised that in future situations where you are representing your personal interests, whether or not you receive payment for your time, you are required to take annual leave.”

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