It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
Seven years ago, when Johns Creek broke away from Fulton County, city leaders thought they were leaving behind the mismanagement they said plagued the larger government.
Fast-forward a bit, and that same city has seen its own share of troubles, with ongoing infighting between the mayor and most members of the City Council. They say he has exceeded the limits of his power; he says the criticism is simply politically motivated.
The allegations that the mayor interfered in affairs he was told not to, had conflicts of interest and violated council confidentiality rules led council members to launch an investigation into the mayor's actions.
An interim report by former DeKalb County District Attorney Bob Wilson, released just weeks before election day, has cost taxpayers to date more than $63,000. The cost is likely to increase, as not all invoices have been submitted and the investigation is not yet closed. The report notes that Mayor Mike Bodker hasn’t produced requested documents the attorney needs to finish the investigation.
“I think Fulton has every right to talk about our dysfunction. If you do something wrong you should be called out for it,” Bodker said. “People wanted a government that was formed to get away from the dysfunction and they want a government that listens. I think we will get back to that again.”
Despite the controversy, Bodker, who has been the city’s only mayor, was re-elected to the top spot last week.
“I was back and forth a lot, but in the end I did fall on Bodker’s side,” said city resident Leslie Martinez, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council three years ago. “I have tremendous support for (Bodker’s challenger) Bev (Miller), but the more things got messy, I felt it was more a personal attack. Once that happened, I went more to the side of Bodker.”
The mayor says he has learned from his mistakes.
"We were a new city. Only one council member had held elected office. We didn't understand the role of policy-maker versus implementer," Bodker said. "I did things I wish I could have done differently, but I think I did them for the right reason."
What mistakes does Bodker regret? He cited asking a police officer to go to his godson’s elementary school to confront a boy who was supposedly bullying his godson.
The investigation found that Bodker also violated confidentiality rules in discussing a potential land purchase with the owner, accepted a benefit from a developer, and contacted the mayor of another city about an issue that could have involved potential litigation, even after the City Council told him not to.
Johns Creek’s troubles show that political squabbles are not limited to large governments, said Charles Bullock, political science professor at the University of Georgia. In the immediate aftermath of incorporation everything is rosy, Bullock said, but there are eventually disagreements and that’s common.
Those disagreements led to a “Clean Sweep” slate of City Council candidates in the DeKalb County city of Dunwoody, which incorporated five years ago. Only one of the three “Sweepers,” Jim Riticher, won last week’s election. But he’s determined to make a change.
“I’m not alleging any wrongdoing, I’m just alleging differences in how we treat the citizenry,” Riticher said. “Based on my watching the mayor and council, there was a pronounced tuning-out of the citizenry.”
Back in Johns Creek, the political battle wounds are deeper and tougher to heal.
Since the election, Bodker hasn’t talked with his challenger, Bev Miller, who gave up her council seat to run against him. Some time needs to pass, he said.
His relationship with outgoing council incumbent Randall Johnson, who was defeated last week, is even more tenuous. Aside from necessary professional communications, the two haven’t talked in over a year. And despite the election results, Johnson is adamant that the investigation into Bodker’s actions is not over.
The troubles in the city had nothing to do with personalities, but with Bodker overreaching his office, Johnson said.
“Changing is entirely up to (Bodker), Johnson said, “but based on some of his comments, I don’t think he gets it.”
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