In the meantime, we believe, at the very least, there should be an investigation by the DeKalb County Board of Ethnics Board. Should it be left up to one person to file a complaint? No. It will take many people to get their attention. That is why we have posted the procedures for filing a complaint against Commissioner Sutton.
We haven't been able to locate a telephone number for the ethics board, but here is the email address: dekalbethicsboard@gmail.com
Please put your complainant in letter form and mail it to:
Board of Ethics
Clerk of the Governing Authority
Clark Harrison Building
330 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
Procedures for Filing An Ethics Complaint.
Although informal inquiries regarding the possible lodging of complaints are welcome, formal complaints must be made in writing. The complaint must be addressed to the Chair of the Board of Ethics, and may be filed with the Clerk of the Governing Authority, Manuel Maloof Center, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, Georgia 30030. The clerk will forward a copy of the complaint to the Chair of the Board of Ethics, who shall in turn forward copies to each of the Board members. Although the filing need not be in a specified format, a proposed form is available at this site for the use of a complaining party. (Complaint form)
A written complaint must be received by the clerk of the governing authority at least seven (7) days prior to a meeting of the Board of Ethics to be placed on the agenda for that meeting. If received within one week of a scheduled meeting, the complaint will be addressed at that meeting. If the complaint is received in the interim between quarterly meetings, the chair may schedule a called meeting at a time convenient for all parties to the complaint to address the matter.
An oral complaint may be received at any scheduled meeting of the Board of Ethics, but will not be acted upon at the same meeting at which it is introduced. An oral complaint must be reduced to writing and signed by the complainant in order for the Board to act upon it.
The Board of Ethics has the statutory duty to render an advisory opinion with respect to the interpretation and application of the Code of Ethics to all persons who seek advice as to whether a particular course of conduct would constitute a violation of the standards imposed by the Code of Ethics. The Board may also consider a request for an advisory opinion based upon hypothetical facts or circumstances. Advisory opinions of the Board are binding on the Board with regard to any subsequent complaint concerning the person who sought the opinion and acted in good faith based on that opinion, unless material facts were omitted or misstated in the request for the advisory opinion. Any person can request an advisory opinion concerning the interpretation and application not only of the Code of Ethics but also any other applicable ethical standards. A request for an advisory opinion must be in writing and signed by the requestor, and submitted in the same manner as a complaint. However, a request for an advisory opinion must be received at least ten (10) days in advance of a scheduled meeting to be considered at that meeting.
12 comments:
Saw Richard Belcher on The News talking about everybody's girl Sharon Barnes-Sutton.
If our DA Robert James is so spiffy where the hell is he on Barnes-Sutton?
Recorders Court behind 40 thousand tickets. courthouse=outhouse
When will the agencies responsible for investigating politicians, and their criminal acts start digging into Commissioner Sutton and her conduct? Or does she just get to walk around doing as she pleases because she is African American....And no one wants to be called a racist. The woman is a perp plain and simple....How do you FORGET to claim a hundred thousand dollars in contributions...oh yea a just get fined $2500.00 pretty good return even in her accounting class...
Are we at all surprised at WSB TV's Richard Belcher's story on Sharon Barnes Sutton outlays of money suppiled by Dekalb County taxpayers? Of course not as this is the way SBS does her county business. She gets her cronies contracts (probably under shell corporations) with phoney licenses and names, gives them contracts that sell nothing, and provides SBS with kickbacks.
None of the above is nothing new for this bad check writer and other questionable things.
My hat is off to RIchard Belcher for being the investigative reporter that he is and hope he will continue to see what other crap she has done or going to do.
This occurs and will continue to occur when a community believes they are entitled to be taken care of and then some by government. This will only gain her favor among her constituents as they believe the aforementioned as well. Unfortunately the Dekalb microcosm transcended all the way to Washington via the House, Senate, and White House which is why we are now a morally and financially bankrupt country.
Funny she has a lawyer
SBS has got the perfect setup for picking up some loose change.
1. Her constituents will cheer her on because it is the money of those "other folks".
2. The DA will never prosecute her
3. The other members of the BOC and the CEO all adopt the Sgt. Schultz ("I know nothing") attitude to avoid getting involved. They are afraid that if they do that some of their own dirty laundry will come out of the clothes hamper.
4. The AJC either does not want to take her on or they do not have easy manpower to do it.
She is one of the reasons we have a budget problem. The more money they are allowed to spend the more they will ask for later.
I bet Big Vern would have jump all over this issue of her spending.
Lil Vern will just hope it goes away. He won't even discuss the issue I bet.
The Board of Commissioners have done an injustice to Dekalb Citizens. If Vernon was the CEO
he would've have demanded an investigation.Ellis was asking questions about Vernons spending,when he was the presiding
officer of the BOC. So,should
presiding Officer Johnson push for such. The AJC reporter April Hunt
reports Pony Rides, Cleanups and WALKS.
Larger issues ie: Foreclosure Registrary,Furlough days are
reported with not much substance.
A good reporter would give both sides. Makes one think that the AJC
is bias. DeKalb subscribers might
stop reading the AJC. Watch TV
you will get more.
Commissioner Sutton's practices
makes you lose respect for the
entire Board.
I think Anon4 was right on target. The sense of entitlement many of our political class have is no fluke and just looking at the outrageous expenses of President Obama's vacation trips it is no wonder DeKalb's rulers believe that is the taxpayers duty to supply their every whim and need.
Before I get hammered as a racist let me state I was no big fan of president Bush's headlong rush to big government. Any DeKalb citizen is welcome to drive into the parking lot of Fire Station-1 and observe the expense and wonder of the monstrosity known as the CDC at the Clifton Rd. HQ and develop their own opinion of the subject.
With the example set by a big, inefficient federal government, commissioner Barnes/Sutton feels more than comfortable at feeding from the inexhaustable tax trough paid by the citizens. When the trough runs dry, no problemo, raise property taxes a whopping 26 percent and its "meats on the table, boys!".
I am staying away from commenting on Commissioners Barnes/Sutton uncanny physical resemblance to a specific farm animal, that would be an insult to the above animal who displays better ethics and provides satisfaction and nutrition to many of our citizens.
Argh, the hell with it!
Perhaps we should nick-name her "Mrs. Piggy".
Best of luck, guys!
KenC
to 1:27 p m: lose respect for the entire board? I thought there was no more respect LEFT to lose! You must be a newbie on the blog.
Sharon Barnes Sutton has an on again/off agin relationship with Warren Mosby. He has been her campaign manager and she has used County funds (not campaign money) to pay for his consulting services.
It is illegal and unethical to spend County funds for campaign and re-election purposes. It is illegal and unethical to hire somone with County money if that worker or consultant is only doing campaign work. It is illegal to spend County money on products (such as a high definition video camera, or stationary) that will be used in an election campaign.
Here's the rub. Warren Mosby is well connected. He is the brother of State Rep Howard Mosby, the leader of the DeKalb delegation in the legislature. Warren Mosby is the also the brother of Natlyn Archibong Mosby, City Councilwoman for the City of Atlanta.
Rumor has it that the DeKalb District Attorney Robert James has recently hired Warren Mosby to be his campaign manager. That sounds like good insurance for Barnes Sutton from being prosecuted.
SBS is not the only commissioner with questionable use of County supplied resources. Stan Watson blurrs the lines between constituent services and campaigning. Watson is constantly holding events - breakfasts, health fairs, a cable TV show, charity events. The only problem is he uses his County paid staff to organize the events. A County Commissioner's staff cannot be paid by the County to conduct campaign work. That is illegal.
Will the DeKalb DA investigate? No. He is more interested in his poiticl career than doing his job as the County DA. Will the Board of Commissioners investigate one of their own? It rarely happens in any legislative branch. The Ethics Board is a possibility.
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