City Ethics Board will hear complaint against councilman Friday

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DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — The City of Dawsonville Ethics Board will meet Friday at 3 p.m. in the G.L. Gilleland Chambers in City Hall to hear the city’s complaint that City Councilman Mark French violated nine provisions of the city’s Ethics Ordinance.

The complaint stems from French’s effort to get city government to answer a citizen’s question.

On Nov. 7, Dawsonville resident Steve Sanvi sent an email to City Manager Bob Bolz to ask how residency is determined for a city council member. “If you own a home in the district elected and another outside the district, how is the primary residence determined,” Sanvi asked.

Bolz’s response was, “I believe those are legal questions that are outside my expertise.”

French then requested that Bolz speak to City Attorney Dana Miles to provide an accurate answer to the inquiry.

Sanvi was attempting to determine if Councilman Jason Power lived in the district he was elected to represent. During the Nov. 18 city council meeting, Power resigned his office and council voted to issue the ethics complaint against French.

“I believe this is completely frivolous and I will fight it with every fiber of my being,” French said last week during a phone interview with Fetch Your News. “I did not ask for anything improper. I asked the city manager to coordinate with the county attorney to draft a proper response to a citizen’s inquiry.”

Included in the provisions French is alleged to have violated are the following:

Sec 2-77 (1) No city official shall use such position to secure special privileges or exemptions for himself or herself or others or to secure confidential information for any purpose other than official duties on behalf of the city;

Sec. 2-77 (2) No city official in any matter before the council or other city body relating to a person or entity in which the official has a substantial interest, shall fail to disclose for the records such interest prior to any discussion or vote or fail to recuse himself or herself from such discussion or vote as applicable;

Sec. 2-77 (3) All public funds shall be used for the people and not for personal gain;

Sec. 2-77 (10) No city official shall use city facilities, personnel, equipment or supplies for private purposes except to the extent such are available to the public.

Both sides will provide evidence to the three-member Board. Members of the Board include Marcus Sewell, Shelly Martin and Calvin Byrd.

 

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