It’s déjà vu all over again in East Point.
On May 20, Mayor Earnestine Pittman heads to municipal court accused of violating the city’s handbill ordinance. The charge stems from having her newsletter delivered to residents last week. Pittman received the same citation last October, but was found not guilty in November by a visiting judge.
“This is just ridiculous. All of this is just politics,” Pittman said.
She said two East Point police officers delivered the citation to her door late last week after some residents complained about the newsletter littering the streets. The ordinance forbids any handbills distributed within four feet of the right of way.
“The only people complaining are residents of Jefferson Park, where Councilman Lance Rhodes lives,” she said.
Rhodes and Pittman have butted heads over a number of issues, including the city’s fiscal health. Pittman maintains Rhodes is part of a council bloc controlling agendas and not allowing the city’s work to get done.
Rhodes sent an email statement about the issue.
“At the very least, Mayor Pittman’s actions are insulting to the community. On the day when many volunteers were working at various points in the community to clean our entrance areas, Mayor Pittman was delivering litter in our streets,” Rhodes wrote.
He added he had delivered thousands of pieces of information to residents’ doors to make sure the items were secured. Rhodes said he received complaints from more than 100 residents objecting to the mayor's newsletters blowing through their neighborhood.
Jefferson Park’s William Miller is one of the residents unhappy about the mayor’s distribution system.
“We put out a publication to our neighborhood at a great personal mailing expense and we abide by the handbill ordinance. I consider her distribution system to be litter. She’s just using her office for an advantage,” Miller said.
Pittman said the case against her is a waste of tax dollars and city employees’ time.
“People complain about the police not showing up on time, yet it takes two of them to bring a citation to my door. Nobody else gets served a citation like this,” she said.
East Point police Chief Leander Robinson is out of town this week and officials said the matter is under investigation and the department will comment when the investigation is completed.
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