Two new members were appointed to the DeKalb County Board of Ethics on Tuesday, restoring the panel to full strength and allowing cases involving suspended CEO Burrell Ellis and two commissioners to resume.
The board, which has the power to suspend or remove government officials, had to cancel hearings against the commissioners Monday because it didn’t have enough members to do business.
Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May revived the board by appointing Christopher Bruce, a workers’ compensation attorney, and Nikki Forman, a marketing communications coordinator for DeKalb Regional Health System.
The Board of Ethics could force an election for the county’s CEO position if it decides to remove Ellis from office. His case was tabled while criminal charges were pending. A jury found Ellis guilty this month of attempted extortion and perjury, but his conviction won’t result in his removal unless he loses his appeals.
“We need to conduct the business that’s before the Board of Ethics,” May said. “I’m not concerned about any future election or anything like that. I’m concerned about making sure that we have an efficiently run government. That’s my focus.”
DeKalb needs a functioning Board of Ethics to resolve allegations of improper behavior, said board Chairman John Ernst.
“We have a crisis of confidence in DeKalb County, and the Board of Ethics isn’t going to solve all the problems, but it’s a mechanism to move DeKalb County forward,” Ernst said.
The board will soon schedule a final hearing for Commissioner Stan Watson and a preliminary hearing for Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton.
Watson is facing an ethics complaint after he voted twice to award a $1.5 million contract to APD Solutions, a property development company that was paying him more than $500 a month for his strategic advice. The Board of Ethics decided in May that there was probable cause to advance the case.
An ethics allegation against Sutton accuses her of misusing her county purchasing card. Sutton has said she used her charge card for legitimate government business and not for personal gain.
Rhea Johnson, a DeKalb resident who filed the complaints against Watson and Ellis, said he wants a decision from the board.
“It needs to be a vote up or down,” Johnson said. “I want to see the process completed.”
The vacant board positions hadn’t been filled for months. Board member Robert Blackman resigned in March after he argued with a county employee and asked him to “come outside,” and Bobbie Kennedy Sanford stepped down in May without giving an explanation.
Bruce and Forman may serve on the Board of Ethics only for a few months. Voters will decide in a November referendum whether to restructure the board with members appointed by community organizations rather than by the CEO and the county commissioners.
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