Acrimony continues between the mayor of College Park and two City Council officials.
College Park Councilmen Roderick Gay and Joe Carn did not attend Monday’s City Council work session or regular meeting in which annual staff bonuses were set to be approved.
Gay told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution via text that he was sick and provided a note from his doctor’s office. Carn did not return a call from the AJC.
Both men notified the city manager about 90 minutes before the start of the work session, but Mayor Bianca Motley Broom and council members Ambrose Clay and Ken Allen expressed doubts that the absences were for legitimate reasons.
Clay said their absence was a “dereliction of duty.” Clay, who will retire from City Council in December after serving for 16 years, tied the absences to “forces at work” to obstruct redevelopment in College Park, including the planned $1.5 billion project, Six West, near the airport.
“I am totally frustrated,” Clay said. ”... This sure isn’t going to attract investors to our city that are looking for a stable government.”
Last June, Gay and Carn abruptly exited a City Council meeting mid-session citing unfair treatment and bias of the mayor in carrying out the meeting. With no quorum, Motley Broom had to end the meeting before the budget was approved.
Monday, Councilman Allen said that in addition to approving bonuses, employee benefits were to be discussed during the meetings, and visitors flew in to town to make presentations.
Motley Broom said last Monday’s meeting agendas will be added to the City Council meeting to be held Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m. The last meeting of the year is scheduled for Dec. 4.
“There are people counting on us to be here,” Motley Broom said of the local residents. “We all took an oath to promote the general welfare of the inhabitants of this city and the common interests thereof. So let’s do it.”
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