By Paul Walton
The Conspiracy to dissolve Hull`s charter. There have been some
interesting things that`s been happening in Madison County
regarding the city of Hull. The plan to eliminate Hull`s Local
Option Sales Tax (LOST) funding. A city is required to provide at
least three services out of six. The city of Hull has in the past
provided fire protection, water, and police protection. Each was
through an Intergovernmental Agreement. The city was requested to
provide a contract with the Madison County Sheriff Department to
receive it`s LOST funding. The city of Hull has not had a current
contract with the MCS department since 2012, before my tenure as
mayor. The last contract was for $0 dollars to provide police
protection. All of a sudden, I was told by the Board of
Commissioners County attorney that in order to have a contract with
the MCS, we have to ask for a specific service which would cost
around $150.000 annually knowing that the city of Hull could not
afford that. Therefore; that lacked the city to receive LOST funding.
I`ll never forget the chairman of the BOC stating in the MCJ that the
mayor may want to pump the breaks on building that new city hall,
but I`ll come back to that later. So, to provide that third service I
acquired a location for a Hull public library. So, what was the next
move. Put the Hull mayor in a position so he cannot direct and
perform his duties. In November 2022, I was served by the Madison
County Sheriff a retraining order. That I shall not perform any of
my mayoral duties and a court date wasn`t set until over a month
and half later for me to appear in court. This retraining order was
supposedly because of when I qualified to run for Congress in
March 2022. Remember, this order was signed approximately 9
months later. Like all of a sudden, a light bulb went off. Well, a
light bulb did go off when I terminated the city of Hull`s former
clerk in September 2022. Part of that restraining order has in it that
the mayor shall not do any hiring or firing, change the city charter or
do any annexation. Now, when I saw that, I asked myself among
other things regarding this, why would a judge mention annexation.
But first of all; why would a judge even sign such thing and then
wouldn’t set a date to appear in court until over two months out.
The other interesting thing is that when the sheriff gave me this
order, he asked for my keys to the city without me ever being in or
attending court. I felt this was highly unusual. I informed him that I
did not have the city keys with me and he replied and I quote, “well
when you come to court bring the keys with you”. Right then I
knew it was and is a conspiracy to dissolve the city of Hull. Let`s
talk annexation. The city of Hull had plans to annex the
unincorporated part of Hull which was discussed at my very first
town hall meeting in 2019. Doing that would have made Hull the
largest city in Madison County under my leadership. It would have
grown tremendously by population, LOST funding, excise taxes,
occupational taxes, two banks, several gas stations and businesses,
the largest supermarket (Ingles), land for sale etc. Now, going back
to this restraining order. The bases of this were because of when I
ran for Congress my mayor seat became vacant supposedly. In
Article 2, § 2, 15 of the Constitution of the State of Georgia, entitled
"Vacancies created by elected officials qualifying for other office"
provides:
The office of any state, county, or municipal elected official shall be declared
vacant upon such elected official qualifying, in a general primary or general
election, or special primary or special election, for another state, county, or
municipal elective office or qualifying for the House of Representatives or the
Senate of the United States if the term of the office for which such official is
qualifying for begins more than 30 days prior to the expiration of such official's
present term of office. The vacancy created in any such office shall be filled as
provided by this Constitution or any general or local law. This provision shall not
apply to any elected official seeking or holding more than one elective office when
the holding of such offices simultaneously is specifically authorized by law.
(Emphasis added) The term for the 2023 10th Congressional District of the United
States House of Representatives for which I qualified, began on January 3, 2022.
My term ended on December 31, 2021 resulting from an election that was to have
taken place in November of 2021. Consequently, the mayor was not in violation of
Article 2, § 2, ¶5 of the Constitution of the State of Georgia and there was not a
vacancy created by his qualifying for the general primary.
These Facts were presented in court with a copy of the original ad that ran in the
MCJ newspaper stating that my term ended in December 2021. The judge ignored
these facts. The two Hull city councilmembers, John Barber and Mike McElroy
hired Colbert city attorney to bring this case. They did not have any facts at all to
debunk our records and instead tried to use an old charter the was repealed when
the Governor signed a new Hull charter in May 2021. The old charter stated that
anyone whose term ends in December 2022 shall end in 2023. Keep in mind my
term ended in December 2021. They then resorted to a Sons of Confederate Sons
of Confederate Veterans v. Newton County Bd of Comm’r case which states
citizens have a right to remove officers from service. So does the city of Hull and
it`s called a charter that was signed by the governor stating the proper procedures
removing a public officer from office along with a city ordinance, both of which
was ignored by the two councilmembers who swore to uphold it and the judge who
is suppose to be fair and impartial. Each city in the state of Georgia is governed by
it`s charter and not a judicial court. It`s called Home Rule for those who may not
know. Two councilmembers have known authority to make any decisions
regarding city business outside of an open city council meeting with the proper
number of a quorum to conduct business which is three to four councilmembers,
none less. Four councilmembers my conduct city business without a mayor, none
less than that. The city of Hull only has two. To act without a quorum is in
violation of what`s called Georgia`s Sunshine Law. I`ll let the Georgia Attorney
General deal with that. How did Hull end up with only two councilmembers when
it previously had four. The first resigned due to the disrespect she received while
attempting to hold a council meeting without my presence from the other
councilmembers. So resigned because of it and I don`t blame her. The second
Hull councilmember would have the public believe that he resigned out of protest
of me terminating the former city clerk. I terminated her September 16, 2022. He
could have resigned immediately but stayed as a councilmember and had another
meeting in October 2022. During this meeting, I was out of town during a two-day
training session with the Georgia Municipal Association in Hiwassee. I asked the
mayor pro tem to facilitate the meeting while I listen on the phone. I also asked
then councilmember Brian Keopnick to record the meeting with my personal
recorder and do not erase anything from beginning to end of the meeting in case
there may be any additions or corrections of the meeting. During this meeting the
former city clerk showed up knowing I would be out of town and approached the
council with paperwork stating supposedly the real reason of why she was
terminated. The city of Hull has a Rule of Decorum Policy which the councilmen
failed to uphold outside of my presence. The two councilmembers John Barber
and Brian Keopnick went on a tantrum against me and threatened to have me
removed from office. When I got back into town, I asked then Brian Keopnick
could I pick up my recorder and if he had transcribed everything that was said at
the meeting. He said he would have it ready on Monday. I pick it up from him
and listened to the meeting. After listening I noticed he erased only the tantrum
and the voice of the former city clerk asking her claims to be put in the minutes as
if she was a councilmember of some sort when in fact, she is not even a citizen of
Hull. It was totally unacceptable for any councilmember to behave in this matter.
After then listening to the meeting and realizing these portions were erased, I
contacted former councilmen Koepnick and inquired about this missing recording
of the meeting and he said he forgot that I told him to not erase anything. I said to
him and I quote “you have been a councilman over 9 years and you know better,
I`ll take this up with the proper authorities in the morning. Approximately 30
minutes later he sent me a letter of resignation via email. He did not want the
public to know how they behaved in that meeting. I have a copy of the text
messages if anyone wants to question my trustfulness in this matter. Better than
that, I searched around the State of Georgia to find a company that could retrieve
this recording and finally found GC Computers in the Georgia Square Mall after
months of searching. They have recovered the files and I have the recordings. By
the way, let`s talk about the role of a councilmember. Councilmembers are
empowered to make policy decisions and to approve ordinances, resolutions, and
other local legislation to govern the health, welfare, comfort, and safety of the
city's residents. Not once have either of these two councilmembers ever put on my
desk an ordinance, resolution, local legislation or policy for the health, welfare,
comfort, and safety of the city residents. Councilmember John Barber was a no
call no show for so many meetings. I had to have an attendance policy drawn up
because of his actions. I have no allegiance to any councilmember, employee, only
to the United States Constitution, The Georgia State Constitution, my oaths that I
swore to and the City of Hull citizens. These councilmembers caused the city of
Hull to go into a perilous status not caring for it`s citizens or the oath they swore.
They showed their allegiance to a terminated employee. I understand, no one likes
to be terminated, these councilmembers had a right to discuss there concerns but it
is a way to do that as I was trying to explain to them. You do not discuss
personnel matters in an open meeting, that is to be discussed in what`s called an
Executive Session and I tried to explain that to them that at the next meeting we
could have that discussion, but there was just no civil reasoning with them and it
could have possibly brought about a different outcome. My final reason for the
termination of the Hull city clerk was her refusal/excuse for not taking the Georgia
State Mandated course which I asked and encouraged several times during my
tenure as mayor. Her response was always since she didn`t work full time, she
wasn’t required. I believed her until I found out later that that is not correct.
Under Georgia State law, anyone holding the title of clerk shall take the mandated
class and the only people who are exempt are clerks holding dual roles as clerks
and city managers.
State Mandated Training, State law (O.C.G.A. § 36-1-24 and § 36-45-20) requires
anyone holding the title of clerk or performing the duties of a municipal clerk or
county clerk pursuant to the local charter, ordinance, or code shall attend and
complete a course of training on matters pertaining to the basic performance of his
or her official duties. Mandated training is offered at Georgia Clerks Education
Institute programs, and the 15-hour mandated training course counts toward the
101 hours required for certification as a Georgia Certified Clerk. (a) For purposes
of this article, the term "clerk of the governing authority of a municipality" means
any individual holding the office of city clerk pursuant to a municipal charter and
who is normally employed in that capacity for 40 hours per week. (b) Any person
hired or appointed to serve as the clerk of the governing authority of a municipality
shall attend and complete a course of training on matters pertaining to the basic
performance of his or her official duties. A city official who is an acting city clerk
or who carries the dual responsibilities of both city manager and city clerk is
exempt from such training. Example “My water jug has the capacity to hold a
gallon although I only keep it filled half way”. I had several previous reasons to
terminate the former clerk of Hull for example, when the clerk was paying a
former landscaper monthly without having proof of insurance to do work in the
city and no landscaping was done for over 5 months until I started asking where is
the landscaper. I personally had to track him down. He had no insurance and
claimed his equipment was stolen and that`s because he had not been cutting the
city grass. But the clerk was still paying him monthly and he is a friend of her son
who are both firefighters. I had to terminate that landscaper. The city clerk wrote
a city auditor a $2000.00 check for our city audit that the city never received. She
gave over all city hardcopy documents; but the auditor never performed the audit.
I had to personally drive from Hull to the auditor’s office in Winder several times
to retrieve city documents and finally had to hire our new city attorney to draft
letters to the auditor requesting the return of city documents or perform an audit to
keep the city of Hull in compliance which cost the city more money for the
attorney to prepare that request. The former city clerk purposely gave false
information during a city meeting which caused the city council to vote on my
wife, who is also a city employee who graciously took on the role to do the city
newsletter and build and maintain the city website to save the city money of
someone else charging the city extensively, to pay back a meal when we were at
government training in Savannah. The meal was less than $50.00 and was in the
mayor`s spending budget. When I brought up the fact that I had also paid for the
several councilmembers spouses and the clerks spouse meals at the mayor`s
conference in Atlanta, the clerk injected and I quote “the reason why you were able
to pay for that is because there was a vote”. Immediately after the meeting, I
checked previous meeting minutes and there was no vote. I brought this fact to her
attention and the clerk apologized to the Hull council via email but twice purposely
hid this blunder by not putting it in the minutes. Once in the summary of minutes
and then again in the final minutes. The clerk is a clerk, not a councilmember and
that comment should have never been blurted out during a meeting. This is against
the law and is a violation of the open meeting open records act to keep information
from the public that actually happens in a city meeting. I`ve purchased finger food
for guest like sandwiches, chips, tea, lemonade and all councilmembers and city
clerk gladly ate along with certain guest like the Northeastern Georgia
Commission, Georgia Municipal Association and etc. At the end of each year, I
would purchase gifts for each councilmember and clerk from the mayor’s budget
like pens, mugs and they all accepted and never said a thing. I was warned and
cautioned by two former mayors’ that the city clerk was going to give me problems
and be a challenge to work with. But I chose to give her chances. Most new
mayors get rid of old administration and start fresh at the beginning of their term.
So let me be clear, the former city clerk has been working for the city a long time
and was good at a lot of things she was able to do. I totally appreciated her
experience and even created a clerk`s week for her where she did not have to
attend to any city business for a week which was paid and asked the council to
treat her and her spouse to a dinner during that week of not more than $60. I
created one week a year for her known as “Clerk`s Week” each four years of my
administration.
Let`s talk about the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The ARPA bill was
signed into law on March 11, 2021. In order to received this funding from the
United States government, cities and counties must go through a tremendous
amount of paperwork and be in compliance with the state and federal government
agencies. The city of Hull has no city manager, I was that, no CFO, I was that. I
consistently performed outside of my role of mayor because we are such a small
city where we couldn’t afford to have those particular department heads, so I took
on those roles. This included, many pages of compliance documents, webinars,
meetings with members of the Department of Treasury, traveling throughout
Georgia for ARPA meetings to learn about the bill and how the funds were to be
allocated and it`s usage for local government. The rules were stricter in the
beginning of issuance of the funds and later became more less strict for more uses
of local government operations and it`s citizens. Through my labor of love for the
city of Hull and my constituents, business owners including Angie’s on Hwy 72
and faith organizations and first responders, I was able to secure approxetmely
$75,000. I contacted both faith organizations in Hull, Hull Baptist and Heaven
Bound Ministries to see if they needed assistance and provided assistance to
Heaven Bounds Ministries, the Golden Pantry now Chevron gas station to increase
the pay for its employee’s loss of pay because of covid-19, $11,000 the Hull
Volunteer Fire Department, and over $4,000 to the Madison County Sherriff
Department for refurbished tasers. Also created an application for the citizens of
Hull to apply for assistance on a first come first serve basis until funds would be
exhausted. As mayor of Hull and being very involved in training of local
government so that I can learn and perform my job effectively and efficiently, it
caused me to travel across the state of Georgia tremendously to conferences,
meetings with other local and state officials. Hull city limits is a quarter mile
circle. I`ve traveled as far Rome to Lagrange, Atlanta to Savannah for my city
throughout my four years as mayor consistently. I could not get a single
councilmember to go anywhere and/or take government training and report back to
the city. It was always myself or myself and the first lady of Hull. Since the city
of Hull does not have a city vehicle for travel, I used my personal vehicle for city
business to save the city money instead of renting a car each time I travel outside
the city limits which is only a quarter mile circle. If I were to rent a car each time I
traveled outside of the city limits for city business, the taxpayers would have been
paying thousands of dollars for car rental and insurance cost for the mayor. So,
after all of that wear and tear on my personal vehicle, I started to have brake issues
coming back from training out of Savannah from the annual government
conference. Because it was brakes and I deemed it an emergency, I had my breaks
repaired with ARPA funding which was allowable. This matter was brought to a
council meeting of what I had to do as an emergency and the council approved the
expenditure unanimously. I also looked after Hull councilmembers and the city
clerk by providing ARPA funds to them also. I got with the city attorney to see if
it was a way for them to receive premium pay which was allowed by the final rule
of uses. Each councilmember and the city clerk who wanted to receive ARPA
funds needed to write a reason why they thought they should receive funds. All of
them could have said no thank you, but each of them did write a reason to receive
funds and held out their hands. Each councilmember received $1,500 and the city
clerk $3,500. These people love to throw rocks and then hide their hands. Those
councilmembers John Barber, Mike McElroy and certain Madison County elected
officials, and people who do not live in Hull including Mr. Dale Perry has devasted
the Well city of Hull by unlawfully filing suit to remove me from office and
stopping funding to the city. Because of this, the city of Hull lost it`s local option
sales tax funding. The city has no code enforcement, zoning and is not in
compliance with certain state and federal compliance agencies like the Department
of Community Affairs etc. The cities credit rating has dropped. There has not
been a city meeting for the public since October 2022. The city does not have nor
established an operating budget for 2023. The city does not and will not have the
proper paperwork to pass an upcoming audit to provide to the state of Georgia
Uniform Audit of Accounts. The beautification project along Hwy 72 is again
filled with weeds and all of the plaques of Hull settlers that I commissioned to be
raised out of the ground for the public to acknowledge is again buried with weeds
and dirt. These elected officials are having fun at their fecal festival while the
citizens of Hull suffer. Allow me to quote Roman`s Chapter 3 verses 13-18. “Their
throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of
asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are
swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace
have they not known; there is no fear of God before their eyes”. The city of Hull
had a bright future being the next city to Athens in Madison County. It had
enormous potential for the health and welfare of it`s citizen that I envisioned. I
was able to build alliances with the mayor`s of Winterville and Athens to bring to
the city of Hull a walking and biking trail that would connect from Winterville
through Athens to Hull and back into Athens. Bringing citizens and visitors
outdoors for a safe place to walk and children to ride their bikes in a safe place
other than just the streets. As mayor I was able to secure almost a million dollars
in federal funding for a new city hall. Not only was it just a city hall, but it would
have also severed as a multipurpose building much like the new Jackson Emc
building. It was designed to have community events and a with a storm safe room
and was innovative for business for the next forty years. With the expansion of the
city and grants like the Community Development Block Grant and private donors,
this would have been easily paid for without ever charging city taxes on its
citizens. The city had opportunity to bring sewer for the citizens working with
Athens and Madison County. I had plans on the table to clean up the blight in the
community on such places like Davis Street using the CHIP funding grant. The
city of Hull would have been able to qualify and receive funding for replacement
or repair of all septic tanks for its residents as I was currently working on.
Annexation of the unincorporated parts of Hull would have made the city of Hull
the largest city out of the six cities in the county. Ten other businesses that the city
of Hull would have had in its city would have provided occupational and excise tax
revenue and the citizens there would have had government representation unlike
they do now. It would have included revenue from the largest grocery market
(Ingles) in the county, two banks, three gas stations, a school, CVS Pharmacy, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, Jackson EMC and other opportunities, this would
have brought in more revenue and property to the city perhaps this is why the
judge put in his retraining order to not do any annexation. With what these
councilmen and others conspirators allowed to happen; all of the city of Hull assets
will go to the county. What a conspiracy, what a shame. In my closing let me say.
Being a servant for the citizens of Hull have been one of the most gratifying times
in my life. My experience of seeing the smiling faces of people, the children; the
elderly always brought joy to my heart. Being able to help residents and people in
general during the covid-19 crisis while working with the Boy Scouts of America.
Distributing over 10,000lbs of food for people in need. Offering school supplies to
needy families from all over Madison County. Being able to visit each elementary
and middle school reading and speaking to the youth taking questions and sharing
my role as mayor in Madison County during Black History Month. All of the
beautiful letters and emails and phone calls that I have received from the citizens
of Hull and from people around the state over the years. For the previous Hull city
council to approve the city of Hull`s first city flag that I personally designed for the
city along with the new city welcome sign on Glenn Carrie Rd. I thank Governor
Brian Kemp for recognizing my work and flying our state city flag at the Capital in
my honor in which he sent to me a plaque that it was flown in my honor. Senator
Raphael Warnock for acknowledging all of the hard work and efforts I took to
secure funding for a new city hall in Hull in a letter which he sent to me. The
outstanding artist Mr. Brodrick Flanigan for bringing his masterpiece of artistry to
the Well city of Hull that I commissioned showing all of the cultures that reflect
the community and the citizens of Hull. All of the Hull business owners who
supported the city of Hull events. All of the hard-working elected officials that go
above and beyond for their constituents throughout the state of Georgia that I have
met in my travels of all walks of life. Much thanks to former councilmembers
Yvonne Davenport and Donna Sherrer-Gantt who actually performed their role
professionally at all times. The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority inc. of Athens. I must say
the one besides God I must thank the most is my wife, Marilyn; the First Lady of
Hull that helped keep me inspired and has always stood next to me and never
wavered during my tenure as mayor and her service as city councilmember. So no,
I`m not bitter or angry and I will be honored to have this opportunity again along
with all of it`s challenges because if you are a sincere servant, you will realize the
gratification of helping others is what the world needs more of. But yes; justice
must be done. According to the Hull City Charter which the Governor signed, I
am still the mayor of Hull by choice until a new mayor is qualified and duly
elected.
Hon. Paul Walton
Mayor
City of Hull