Will Wade is the leading fundraiser in race for District 9 State House

News

ATLANTA – Campaign contribution reports filed with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office reveal former Dawson County School Board member Will Wade is the leading fundraiser in the race for District 9 State Representative.

Entering the final week before advanced voting begins Wade, a banker by profession, clearly demonstrated he understands the art of fundraising. Enthusiastic supporters have poured $71,008 into his campaign. His expenditures total $36,351, leaving him a balance of $34,656.

Attorney Steven Leibel was in second place with total campaign contributions of $50,015. Leibel has spent $32,370.90, giving him a balance of $17,644.

Former Lumpkin County Commissioner Doug Sherrill, reported receiving $44,475, with $23,250 coming in the form of personal loans he made to his campaign. He reported $18,656.65 in expenditures.

Steven Leibel

No one else was even close in the race for dollars. Attorney Zack Tumlin, in his first campaign for political office, collected $14,476 and spent $16,009.

Clint Smith, a longtime Republican activist who served eight years in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1995 until 2003 raised only $10,150 and $8,000 came in the form of a loan he made to his campaign. He has spent, $7,294 for a balance on hand of $2,856.

Tyler Tolin, a former U.S. Marine, Army Airborne Ranger and special ops team member who served in combat zones in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and the Mediterranean, reported $740 in donations.

The only Democratic primary candidate is Sharon Ravert, who has raised $4,755 and spent $1,459.96.

The candidates are running for the seat being vacated by Kevin Tanner who, after eight years in the State House, announced he would run for U.S. Congress.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

 

 

 

Wade expected to join race for state representative

News

DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. — Longtime Dawson County Board of Education member Will Wade said he is finalizing plans to run for District 9 State Representative. He is expected to make an official announcement this week.

Wade is senior vice president and marketing executive at Southern Bank & Trust and a member of the school board since 2004. He earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of North Georgia and a master’s degree in banking and business from the University of Georgia. Later this year, he will earn a second graduate degree in banking from Wharton Business School.

Wade has devoted many years to public service and, in 2017, was named to Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40. He was appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue to serve on the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission in 2010. He was selected vice chairman of Georgia Mountains Workforce Development in 2012, president of the Georgia School Board Association in 2017 and, last year, Gov. Brian Kemp appointed him to the Georgia Student Finance Commission in the 9th district.

Wade is married to Dr. Jennifer Sheffield-Wade, a career educator. The couple has two children, Jenna and Walker.

Zack Tumlin

Zack Tumlin

Zack Tumlin is an attorney with law offices in Dahlonega and Dawsonville. He earned a Political Science degree at North Georgia College and State University and law degrees from Mississippi College and the University of Georgia.

He is chairman of Governmental Affairs for Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the Foundation Board for Northeast Georgia Health Systems and previously served on the Board of Directors for the South Enotah Child Advocacy Center.

He and wife Laura have two daughters, Tallye Kate, 3, and Vera Haynes, one month.

Steven Leibel

Steven Leibel

Steven Leibel, a personal injury lawyer who lives in Lumpkin County and has a successful practice in Cumming, announced last week that he will run for the Georgia State House in District 9.

He has a bachelor’s degree from Queens College, City University of New York and earned his law degree from Emory University. He is also a certified mediator and a graduate of the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy. This will be his first campaign for public office.

“I have no other objective than to make things better for the people of this district,” he told Fetch Your News. I care about the community. I see things that need to be done and I want to give back. We lack good quality development that will provide good quality jobs. Technology is lacking. We need to improve healthcare. I bring an excellent skill set to the campaign.”

Qualifying starts at 9 a.m. Monday, March 2nd and ends at noon Friday, March 6. Election Day is Tuesday May 19th.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

Dawsonville Ethics Board delays decision until Feb. 19

News

DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. – A decision in the ethics complaint filed against City Councilman Mark French will have to wait until Feb. 19 at the earliest.

Steven Leibel, French’s attorney, raised several objections at Tuesday’s Ethics Board hearing that Abbott (Abb) Hayes, the attorney representing the City of Dawsonville, was not prepared to answer. Hayes said it was the first time he had heard the objections and he asked for time to prepare a response.

Hayes agreed to provide a written response by Feb 3, Leibel agreed to file a written rebuttal by Feb. 7 and the Board agreed to reconvene on Feb 19 at 9 a.m. at City Hall.

Attorney Steven Leibel (left) City Councilman Mark French at Tuesdsy Ethics Board hearing

The City initially charged French with nine violations of the City’s Ethics Code which was sparked by a request French made of City Manager Bob Bolz to consult with the City Attorney regarding a question posed by a private citizen, who also happened to be French’s employer. Three of the nine were dismissed during a preliminary hearing last month.

During that hearing, French argued the complaint should be dismissed because the City failed to follow its own rules that require the city to serve notice of a complaint within seven calendar days. French said he was not served for nine days.

Subsequently, the City refiled the complaint but this time the complainant was listed as City Councilman Stephen Tolson.

Leibel quickly attacked the second filing. “The question is this a complaint through the City or is this an individual complaint. If it’s a City complaint then it’s illegal because the new complaint was not voted on by the City Council. If it is not a complaint by the City, and is an individual complaint by Dawsonville City Council member Stephen Tolson, then I would ask that Mr. Hayes needs to recuse himself because he is being paid for by the City and my client is not. That is a conflict of interest I see as a problem.”

In a written statement issued in January, French said the complaint was politically motivated. “It is based solely upon on political motives and not on any alleged improper action on my part,” he wrote. “The Council is well aware of my support for another candidate in the recent Mayoral election. In my opinion, the complaint is both frivolous and patently unfounded.”

Leibel asserted, “This body has an inherent conflict of interest in any case where there is an internal governmental dispute between members of the body.”

He also raised Constitutional questions about the legitimacy of Ethics Board. “Before you can even hold a hearing, there have been no policies or procedures assuring procedural due process under the 5th and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution and the State of Georgia. You need to adopt procedures and rules that are available to participants so they know what the purview of the Ethics Board is with regard to process.”

Shelley, the attorney on the Board, questioned whether this was a City complaint or an individual complaint. Hayes did not answer directly, but said, “I do think the City has an interest in seeing the Ethics Code is properly administered when an ethics complaint is brought.”

Hayes said City Attorney Dana Miles recused himself from the hearing “because the allegations at issue here relate to him.”

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

Councilman said ethics complaint politically motivated

News

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Post 4 City Councilman Mark French said during a preliminary hearing before the Dawsonville Ethics Board Friday the complaint filed against him by fellow members of the city council is politically motivated.

Councilman Mark French

In a six-page written statement presented to the Board, French said, “It is based solely upon on political motives and not on any alleged improper action on my part. The Council is well aware of my support for another candidate in the recent Mayoral election. In my opinion, the complaint is both frivolous and patently unfounded.”

Mayor Mike Eason defeated Durant Wright in the November election.

The meeting, which lasted just 51 minutes including a 30-minute executive session, gave French an opportunity to present a formal response to the Board. Neither he nor the city was represented by an attorney Friday as both will be during formal hearing which could be held later next month.

French  argued in his written statement, “the complaint against me should, in the first place, be dismissed for failure to comply with the rules.”

Sec. 2-82 of the City’s Code of Ethics requires that a city official charged with a complaint must be notified within seven calendar days after the City Clerk receives the complaint. French said he was not notified until nine days later on Dec. 4.

Attorney Ab Hayes, who will represent the city during the formal hearing, told the Board he would contact French’s lawyer, Steven Leibel, in an effort to resolve the issue.

After reading French’s statement, the Board dismissed three of the nine alleged violations.

Those dismissed are as follows:

Sec. 2-77 (12) A city official shall not directly or indirectly make use of, or permit others to make use of, official information not made available to the general public for the purpose of furthering a private interest;

Sec. 2-77 (14) A city official shall not order any goods or service for the city without prior authorization for such expenditure. No city official shall attempt to obligate the city or give the impression of obligating the city without proper prior authorization;

Sec 2-78(a) A city official may not participate in a vote or decision on any matter affecting an immediate family or any person, entity or property in which the official has a substantial interest.

The alleged violations the Board agreed to consider during the formal hearing are as follows:

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 (6) All public funds shall be used for the general welfare of 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 lawfully available to the public;

Sec. 2-77 (11) No city official shall grant or make available to any person any consideration, treatment, advantage, or favor, beyond that which it is the general practice to grant or make available to the public at large;

Sec. 2-78 (C) A city official may not participate in a vote or decision on a matter in a financial or other personal interest, direct or indirect, which is incompatible with the proper discharge of his official duties or which would tend to impair his independence of judgement or action in the performance of his official duties.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

UPDATE: James Grogan Issues Statement About His Plans to Run for Mayor in 2018

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James Grogan

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – James Grogan announced today that he is giving up his appeal to remain mayor of Dawsonville in order to save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and will, instead, run for mayor in a 2018 special election.

Grogan was voted out of office by City Council members Angie Smith, Caleb Phillips and Jason Power following a report presented to council on May 1 that outlined a number of alleged violations of city code by the mayor. Grogan’s attorney Steven Leibel appealed council’s action, but earlier this month, C. Andrew Fuller, Chief Judge for the Northeast Judicial District ruled the appeal was improperly filed.

Today (Oct. 31), Grogan issued the following statement:

“Obviously I am not pleased with the decision of the judge, however, it is very important to note the ruling did not side with the city council’s decision or their action. It was simply a technicality on a complicated issue that has never happened before in the state of Georgia. My heart is still in serving the citizens of Dawsonville and I believe ultimately it is their decision and not some random judge to decide.

“So instead of continuing the fight through the legal process and to prevent city council from spending any more of your tax payer funds frivolously on legal fees, I’m here to take the high road and say, let’s stop this now. Let’s put this back up to the voters.

“This morning I have stopped my appeal and I am announcing that I will rerun for Mayor in the special election in March and to serve you with all my heart. I have been serving you for many years and we have seen many great things happen in this city under my leadership. So, instead of three power hungry city council members and a random judge deciding the direction our city should take, and whether I should continue to serve you, I have decided to put the decision back where it belongs, with the citizens of Dawsonville.

“You and only you will decide whether I should be allowed to continue to be your leader. So please vote for James Grogan for Mayor in 2018.”

 

  

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

 

 

Judge Fuller Could Rule This Week on City’s Motion to Dismiss Mayor James Grogan’s Appeal

News

City Attorney Dana Miles

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Enotah Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge C. Andrew Fuller could rule as early as this week on a  motion to dismiss an appeal by Mayor James Grogan of his impeachment by the Dawsonville City Council.

City council has accused Grogan of violations of the city charter and, on May 15 by a vote of 3-1 with Councilman Mike Sosebee opposed, removed him from office.

Steven Leibel

Grogan and his attorney Steven Leibel immediately filed an appeal de novo in Superior Court and the mayor was reinstated while the appeal process played out.

City Attorney Dana Miles then filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the appeal for a new trial de novo is not the correct method and that the only method for review is by certiorari.

Leibel countered that Miles is wrong and that the legislature gave his client the right to determine if he wants to go by cert or de novo.

If the appeal is not dismissed, Miles wants Grogan removed from office and his salary of approximately $3,600 per month and benefits returned to the city.

Fetch Your News has reported the decision to impeach the mayor has already cost taxpayers approximately $73,000.

Grogan is accused of lowering rezoning fees for applicants without prior approval of city council, allowing a business to pay a lower rate for water/sewer service without prior approval of city council and approval of payments to non-profit groups, something that has been a common practice of the city for many years.

Grogan has maintained his innocence and said he has done nothing wrong.

Judge Dismisses Mayor James Grogan’s Appeal

News

Mayor James Grogan

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Judge C. Andrew Fuller today (Monday, Oct. 9) dismissed James Grogan’s appeal to remain as mayor of Dawsonville.

Fuller, the Chief Judge for the Northeast Judicial District, ruled the appeal was improperly filed.

When reached for comment Grogan was recovering from eye surgery and said he had not heard of the judge’s decision yet.

Grogan’s attorney Steven Leibel was not available for comment.

Fetch Your News will have more details as they become available.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

Cost to Impeach Mayor Grogan Skyrockets Taxpayers Now on the Hook for $73,000

News

Mayor James Grogan

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Just three months into the process, the cost to taxpayers for Dawsonville City Council’s effort to impeach Mayor James Grogan is skyrocketing. According to city documents obtained by Fetch Your News, the cost has already topped $73,000.

According to those documents, City Attorney Dana Miles’ law firm of Miles, Hansford and Tallant has billed the city a total of $31,296.63 so far.

The law firm of Hulsey, Oliver and Mahar has billed a total of $10,929.12 for Ab Hayes to serve as the independent third party to investigate the actions of the mayor and prepare a report based upon the investigation of the mayor.

The law firm of Ragsdale, Beals, Seigler, Patterson and Gray billed $1,420 for fees to the City Court Judge for handling matters prior to and in conjunction with the hearing for removal of the mayor and the recently hired law firm of Webb and Powell has thus far billed $3,674.

Grogan has said all along that he did nothing wrong and has filed an appeal. As an elected official, he is entitled to legal representation at city expense. Attorney Steven Leibel represents the mayor and thus far, he has billed the city approximately $26,000, which brings the cost to Dawsonville taxpayers to just over $73,000.

“The mayor said at the last meeting this would be very expensive for taxpayers and he suggested finding a resolution short of impeachment,” Leibel said. “Unfortunately the taxpayers now have to shoulder the legal expenses because they didn’t resolve this unconscionable impeachment effort.”

City Council has accused Grogan of violations of city code and policies including lowering rezoning fees for at least three applicants without prior approval of city council, allowing a business to pay a lower rate for water/sewer service without prior approval of city council, and approval of payments to non-profit groups, something that has been a common practice of the city for many years.

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

Mayor Grogan Calls Removal “A Witch Hunt” Councilwoman Smith Says It was Justified

News

Mayor James Grogan

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – On May 22, Dawsonville City Council members Jason Power, Angie Smith and Caleb Phillips voted to remove Mayor James Grogan from office for alleged violations of the city charter, basing their decision on an investigation by attorney Abbott Hayes, who charged the city in excess of $6,000 for his work.

The mayor called the investigation a “witch hunt” and supporters labeled it a “political lynching.”

The allegations, as outlined in Hayes’ report, include:

Violation of the city charter by reducing the fee for several rezoning applications without council approval, changing an application for water and sewer from a business rate to a slightly less expensive residential rate without council approval; approving charitable donations to non-profit organizations; charging alcohol to his city-issued credit card and instructing an employee to use the city credit card to purchase alcohol.

Sources close to the city council and the mayor told Fetch Your News that even if the allegations are true, they “do not rise to the level of removal from office.”

During the May 22nd meeting, Mayor Grogan’s attorney Steven Leibel questioned Hayes and elicited the following information:

  • No one other than the mayor was investigated;
  • The application for water and sewer that was re-classified from business to residential was for a building that is less than 400 square feet that was never used for business, but only for storage of material;
  • Donations to non-profit organizations was a practice carried forward from the Joe Lane Cox administration and when the city attorney pointed out it is not allowed under the Georgia Constitution, the practice stopped;
  • The alcohol purchased was not for personal consumption. It was the same “moonshine” produced by the Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery, which is located in the city hall complex. It was purchased as a door prize intended to promote the City of Dawsonville.

The timing of the mayor’s removal raised suspicion among Grogan’s supporters who wondered if council had another motivation. Some of those have asked why council waited so long to investigate? After all, some of the allegations date all the way back to 2013 and were made highly public in 2015.

Fetch Your News wanted to know if the council’s actions were politically motivated so we contacted each of the three who voted to remove the mayor.

Councilwoman Angie Smith

Smith responded to our questions in an email. Phillips said only that he agreed with everything Smith said and Power did not respond at all.

Smith wrote, “We were acting in accordance with the authority given by our charter and it is clear to us that seeking justice is absolutely not a political lynching.”

She added, “Along with the annexations and in light of the difference in fees that were charged for other annexations, and not knowing how it came about, (Caleb Phillips) made a motion for the City Manager to hire Abbott Hayes to investigate who authorized the reduced fees and if there were any other misuse of fees in the city or misuse of city funds…Angie Smith seconded and the vote carried unanimously in favor. As you can see, our motion for an investigation never mentioned Mayor Grogan specifically.”

Asked if three city council members have the authority to override the vote of hundreds of citizens who elected the mayor, Smith said, “While the citizens of the City of Dawsonville did, in fact, elect Mr. Grogan to be Mayor, they did not elect him to violate our city charter and city ordinances. We, as city council members were also elected by the citizens of this city to uphold our charter and ordinances, as well as laws of our county, state, and nation.”

Leibel appealed the council’s action Wednesday in Superior Court of Dawson County and Mayor Grogan was returned to his position pending the outcome of that appeal.


Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at www.fetchyournews.com

James Grogan Returns as Dawsonville Mayor Monday

News

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – James Grogan will return to the office of Mayor of the City of Dawsonville effective immediately, pending an appeal in the Superior Court of Dawson County.

City Council voted 3-1 last Monday, with Councilman Mike Sosebee opposed, to impeach Grogan for alleged violations of the city code. But Grogan’s attorney Steven Leibel filed the appeal on Wednesday and said that Grogan would return to his duties as mayor in time for Monday’s 5 p.m. work session.

Fetch Your News will have more details as they become available.

Grogan has served as mayor since 2010. He was reelected in 2015. His current term is schedued to end in 2019.


Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at www.fetchyournews.com

Mayor Grogan Appeals Removal from City Council

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Dawsonville Mayor James Grogan

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Dawsonville Mayor James Grogan has appealed his removal from office by the City Council.

On Monday, Dawsonville City Council voted 3-1, with Councilman Mike Sosebee opposed, to remove the mayor for alleged violations of the city code and charter.

On Wednesday, Grogan’s attorney Steven Leibel filed an appeal in the Superior Court of Dawson County.

Fetch Your News will have more details as they become available.

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