A former Clayton County police chief who was ousted from his job two years ago by county commissioners announced Friday he is running for the board's top job in next year's election.
Jeff Turner said he is seeking the county commission chairman's job because he doesn't like the direction the county is headed.
"We have a lot of issues and problems that the board is not adequately addressing," Turner said. "The growth of this county is part of the problem, and there's a problem with employee morale. We have major projects that aren't being funded."
A few years ago, Clayton residents approved a Special Local Options Sales Tax to build five recreation centers, which have yet to be built, Turner said.
Beyond stalled growth and development, Turner said residents constantly tell him they are "tired of the in-fighting between the commissioners and the chairman. They want a board that's going to be stable and look out for their best interest."
Turner had recently sought to run for sheriff, but learned he was ineligible because he had not been a Clayton resident long enough. He decided to go after the chairman's job instead. The 47-year-old law enforcement veteran, who grew up in Clayton, left the county and moved to Henry County shortly after he lost his job. He moved back last December. In order to run for sheriff, a person has to be a resident of the county for at least two years by the time of the June 2012 election. A person can seek the commission chair's job after only a year's residency.
County commissioners removed Turner as police chief in December 2009 because of a series of allegations, ranging from insubordination to mishandling of sexual harassment complaints against officers. The DeKalb County district attorney's office investigated the matter last year and found no evidence of a crime. The state attorney general appointed DeKalb to look into the matter after Clayton's district attorney's office recused itself in the case. Turner was reassigned to direct the county police academy but retired when the academy was closed for budget cuts.
Turner, who is now director of a criminal justice program at a local college, said he doesn't see the past controversy as a hindrance to his campaign because residents are more concerned about what's going on in the county now.
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