No doubt, Warren Mosby is connected.
His brother is state Rep. Howard Mosby, D-Atlanta. His sister is Atlanta City Councilwoman Natalyn Mosby Archibong. His father was former DeKalb Commissioner Nate Mosby.
But it's his relationship with DeKalb Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton that his opponent is questioning.
Mosby is seeking to unseat Commissioner Kathie Gannon, one of Sutton's political rivals, in the May 24 primary election.
Mosby has been at times in a romantic relationship with Sutton, and she has also used public money to pay him as a consultant. Gannon said she believes Mosby is running to advance Sutton’s agenda, a notion that he rejects.
“I’m independent. I’m not controlled by any member — not my family or anyone else,” he said. “We have to get together and look after all DeKalb County, and it doesn’t seem my opponent is interested in that at all.”
Neither Mosby nor Sutton would discuss their relationship, past or present, though she said she didn’t encourage him to run.
Gannon, who represents a super district of 350,000 residents in the western half of DeKalb, said she doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that Mosby is running against her, given his ties to Sutton.
Sutton paid Mosby more than $34,000 for political consulting services through her county office budget in the two years after she was elected in 2008, according to prior reports by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The payments were questioned in a DeKalb corruption report last year by investigators Mike Bowers and Richard Hyde.
“I don’t know one thing that Mr. Mosby has accomplished other than being a consultant, other than being paid with tax dollars,” said Gannon, who was elected to the commission in 2004.
Gannon and Sutton represent opposite sides of a DeKalb Commission that has been split on several major issues, including spending for an animal shelter, a government center, various public facilities and a soccer complex.
Gannon said Mosby is inflaming divisions on the commission by accusing her of ignoring the southern part of the county. Most of her attention, Gannon said, is focused on the southside, and her priorities are improving the fundamentals of local government, such as public safety, roads and water service.
“If we can get the county to the point where we can provide effective services, we’d be going a long way,” said Gannon, a retired social worker. “I’d like to see accountability. We don’t have a good vision for this county. What are the priorities? How are we going to make it the place we want it to be?”
Mosby, a consultant who has worked on the campaigns of numerous local politicians, blamed Gannon for the factionalism on the commission. He said that he would collaborate with all commissioners.
“I’m going to work hard for north DeKalb, but I’m going to work my butt off for south DeKalb. There’s a great need in south DeKalb for attention,” he said. “I’m going going to be working as a consensus builder among members of the commission.”
Gannon founded Georgia CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in the 1980s, a nonprofit organization that supports programs to have volunteer adults advocate for children in cases of abuse or neglect. While in office, she said, she started the county’s recycling program, funded fire station construction, created a community garden and parks program and dedicated government money for park enhancements.
Mosby, making his first run for public office, has a degree in electrical engineering and has worked in financial operations and management. He has served on several nonprofit organization boards and has worked for a church, the YMCA and minority-owned small businesses.
Gannon reported raising $12,922 in campaign contributions through March 31, while Mosby’s contributions amounted to $1,151, according to campaign finance reports.
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