The Stockbridge City Council took the unusual step Wednesday night of censuring the mayor for what some council members say has been a steady stream of abusive and threatening behavior.
In addition to the reprimand, the council required Mayor Tim Thompson to get anger management counseling. Efforts to reach Thompson Wednesday night were unsuccessful.
“We’re public servants. We’re not going to be bullied or tolerate terrorist threats from any member of the city council,” councilwoman Robin Buschman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Wednesday night. Buschman called for the special-called meeting earlier this week.
The five council members also authorized hiring an independent investigator to look into a broad range of actions taken by Thompson since he took office in January 2014 to see if any misconduct or violations of city charters and ordinances have occurred.
Wednesday’s action comes nearly two weeks after an explosive exchange between Thompson and councilman Alphonso Thomas during an executive session at another special-called meeting on March 5.
“He threatened to physically harm me,” Thomas told The AJC Wednesday. “He said he would take me outside and beat my you-know-what. I have never seen an elected official have that kind of breakdown.”
Thomas filed a police report about the incident the next day. He said he was told Wednesday that a judge ruled that the outburst did not warrant Thompson’s arrest.
In addition to the March 5 outburst, Thompson has thrown water bottles, launched into cursing tirades and had explosive meltdowns, some of which has been captured on the videotapes of council meetings, councilmembers say.
Wednesday’s actions is just the latest twist in the city’s long-running political drama that has includes a revolving-door of councilmembers and mayors and legal wranglings in the Henry County town of about 27,000.
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