Ethics board dismisses Ferdinand complaint

The Fulton County Board of Ethics dismissed the latest in a series of complaints against Tax Commissioner Arthur Ferdinand Friday.

The complaint claimed Ferdinand broke the law by waiving the property taxes on more than a dozen Atlanta properties without first seeking permission from the Atlanta Board of Education. Ferdinand did not attend the meeting. In the past he has said he did what he was required to do by law, and that it was a nonprofit land bank that ordered the tax breaks that failed to notify the school board.

The ethics board found state law did not require Ferdinand to ensure the permission was obtained and dismissed the complaint.

Friday’s decision was the latest in a series of ethics victories for Ferdinand. The board recently dismissed two other claims the tax commissioner had abused his authority.

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