You might call it "As the (Political) World Turns," because some municipal races on the Southside of metro Atlanta seem to be following soap opera story lines.
Political observers are seeing intrigue, brushes with the law and jealousy leading up to the Nov. 8 election.
Consider:
- Lovejoy Mayor Joe Murphy was running unopposed but suddenly decided to ditch his 20-year political career because he said he felt the need to spend more time with his family. He resigned Oct. 14, ending 12 years as mayor.
The back story: The Clayton County District Attorney's Office was considering going after Murphy on possible voter fraud charges from a previous election. "The mayor stepped down and agreed to never seek political office again, so the investigation is concluded," DA Tracy Graham Lawson said.
Mayor pro tem Bobby Cartwright will serve out Murphy's term through the end of the year and a special election to fill the job will be held early next year, City Manager Sebastian Jackson said.
- Incumbent Stockbridge City Councilman Fred Evans dropped out of his race, citing financial difficulties caused by the city's new insurance plan. The plan will help the city save money but Evans says it's costing him a bundle.
The self-employed electrician and 12-year council veteran had relied for years on the old Blue Cross Blue Shield plan to help cover his wife's medical bills from a long illness. The new plan doesn't cover nearly as much, so it was either pay his medical bills or his property taxes, he said, and if the taxes went unpaid he didn't feel right running for office.
He said he didn't drop out because of an ethics probe into his council attendance record earlier this year.
- Hotel management executive J.B. Burke, a mayoral candidate in Morrow, was seriously injured in a hit-and-run car accident a couple of weeks ago. The race has since taken a nasty turn. Burke's accident generated a lot of local media coverage which, in turn, irked opponent Jeff DeTar's supporters, who complained on their Facebook page about the "free publicity" for Burke.
The driver in the hit-and-run accident, who was apparently fleeing police, has not been apprehended.
- Forest Park's municipal election doesn't include the Ward 2 council seat left vacant recently when Karen-Brandee Williams was booted out of office for violating city ethics laws. A vote won't be held on filling the seat until her court appeal is heard. Williams was accused of ordering city workers to do a variety of tasks and using city funds for T-shirts with her name and phone numbers. Williams said she distributed the T-shirts to constituents as a way to let them know how to get in touch with her. The city said it was campaign paraphernalia, an ethical no-no.
- And further south in Newton County, Covington mayoral candidate Bobby Sigman, 70, recently was caught on tape in an undercover police operation apparently paying for some of opponent Ronnie Johnston's campaign signs that had been stolen. He was arrested and charged with theft. Sigman briefly dropped out of the race but later changed his mind and re-entered it.
The political machinations have left some who track Southside politics a bit mystified.
“It’s a little disturbing and mind-boggling,” said Augustine Ayuk, assistant professor of political science at Clayton State University. “It’s very unusual compared to previous elections.”
Amy Henderson of the Georgia Municipal Association said she can't remember the last time a political season in one geographic area carried so much drama.
"It makes life interesting," she said.
Stay tuned. ...
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