Dunwoody, founded five years ago to escape constant bickering with DeKalb County, finds itself embroiled in some internal feuding of its own.
Dunwoody leaders are dealing with another in a series of ethics complaints that have plagued the city since last year. So far, taxpayers have shelled out more than $100,000 for investigations, attorneys and mediation services since the flurry began.
On Monday, City Councilwoman Adrian Bonser, while facing an ethics complaint herself, filed ethics charges against attorney for the city Lenny Felgin and Ethics Board hearing officer Jennifer Keaton. Bonser said the two violated the ethics code by accepting and prosecuting an ethics charge against her that exceeded the statute of limitations.
She also accused the mayor and other city leaders of ignoring open meetings laws by discussing land sales behind closed doors and using the ethics ordinance to target opponents.
“It’s all fun and games, even if somebody gets hurt,” Bonser said. “Yet it would not be so funny if it were happening to them.”
City leaders had little if any response to Bonser’s remarks.
Bonser has spent most of the past year fighting ethics charges.
The first case centered on information leaked from a closed City Council session in February 2012. A subsequent investigation led to the resignation of City Attorney Brian Anderson and ethics charges filed by the City Council against Bonser, who later filed charges against the council.
Both cases were withdrawn after the city tallied more than $100,000 in legal fees and administrative costs.
Bonser’s latest run-in involves a complaint filed by resident Stephen Chipka charging her with threatening and abusive behavior after a long-running correspondence over complaints with the Dunwoody Police Department.
In a July 3, 2012, email, Bonser wrote Chipka that she would not respond to any more of his “harassing” emails and suggested he seek help from a therapist or his pastor.
She went on to write, “I will not read or respond to another email from you even if your house is on fire.”
Chipka deemed the comments abusive and threatening. Bonser countered that they were made after nearly a year of constant haranguing.
An Ethics Board decision in that case is expected Wednesday.
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