Fulton County Chairman John Eaves is crying foul over the hiring of an Atlanta councilwoman to lead the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority, the entity overseeing the redevelopment of Turner Field once the Braves leave for Cobb.
The AFCRA board unanimously approved Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms as its new executive director on Thursday. Bottoms, an ally of Reed, takes the helm at a time AFCRA could soon make key decisions regarding the futures of Turner Field and Philips Arena.
Eaves said her hiring lacks transparency and is a power grab by Reed, who already controls six seats on the board. Fulton has three representatives. He criticized the mayor and board for not publicly posting the position.
“It’s the mayor’s desire to take complete control of the authority. Not only do you have control of the board, but you also have control of the person who performs the administrative function of the authority,” Eaves said. “To me, not only is there a transparency issue, but I question whether the administrative head of the authority is impartial or neutral.”
Both AFCRA Board Chairman William Whitner and a spokeswoman for Reed said they disagreed with Eaves’ criticisms, defending the appointment as legal and ethical. Whitner said the board vetted the hiring with its attorneys. Documents show Bottoms also received approval from the Atlanta ethics officer.
Eaves said he plans to have attorneys for Fulton County also examine whether the hiring of a public official is appropriate.
Bottoms, an attorney, said in a statement: “This is certainly an exciting time in Atlanta and I am thrilled to take a lead role in shaping the future for the city’s sports and recreation initiatives.”
Reed, who has attempted to take the lead of Turner Field’s redevelopment, has said he’s weighing two options for the ballpark once the Braves depart by the 2017 season. One is to sell the land to a Georgia State University development team that would revamp the land into a sports and student housing campus. The other is to sell the property outright to unnamed private interests, a move that he says would likely eliminate public input.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has previously reported that at least one prospective buyer for the Atlanta Hawks franchise has expressed interest in upgrades to Philips Arena, a move that could involve public funds and require approval from the authority, county commission and city council.
Bottoms, as executive director, will not have a vote in any board decisions. She said she will recuse herself from any potential votes that face the city council involving authority-managed properties. The AFCRA also maintains Zoo Atlanta and the Olympic cauldron.
She replaces long-time executive director Violet Ricks, who Whitner said will remain as a consultant.
Bottoms will be paid $135,000 for the full-time position. She begins in June.
About the Author
