A DeKalb County manager ran a private consulting business during the same hours as his taxpayer-funded government job, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Channel 2 reports that Marcus Kellum, director of the DeKalb Beautification Unit, didn't inform his superiors that he had two jobs.
Kellum, whose government salary was $104,676 last year, has removed the website for his consulting business, Quality Code Training, where he taught classes for various public and private organizations.
DeKalb Commissioner Kathie Gannon said the county should consider setting limits on department heads working second jobs.
“I checked out the website, and sure enough, there it was,” Gannon told Channel 2. Kellum’s website included photos of county officials, “which would give the impression we were all supportive of this side job.”
Kellum’s website listed his hours as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays — the same times as he was on duty for his government job.
DeKalb Ethics Officer Stacey Kalberman looked into the case and found that Kellum's past outside work didn't constitute a conflict of interest because he wasn't teaching contractors who worked with the county government, according to a July 5 letter to Kellum. She advised him to fill out a conflict of interest declaration form any time he performs outside work.
Kellum previously worked as the director of the DeKalb Code Enforcement Division before he was promoted to lead the DeKalb Beautification Unit. The Beautification Unit handles building inspections, zoning ordinance enforcement, code compliance and other programs.
Kellum said he has operated his private training business before and since he became a DeKalb employee in 2012.
“My top priority is effectively doing my job as the head of code enforcement for the citizens of DeKalb County,” Kellum said in a prepared statement to Channel 2.
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