The Times received a copy of the ethics complaint Thursday filed against Hahira Mayor Wayne Bullard.

The Times attempted to obtain a copy of the ethics complaint, first by phone at the end of October 2011, and later on Dec. 6., 2011, through an open-records request. According to Robert A. Plumb of Langdale and Vallotton LLC, attorney for the city of Hahira, the documents and records requested by The Times were not subject to disclosure under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72(a)(5) which states that public disclosure is not required.

The Times did not agree with this assessment. Although the law states the city did not have to release any records of an investigation at that point in time, the complaint received by the city was not “obtained in investigations” and therefore not subject to the cited law.

The Times contacted Georgia’s Senior Assistant Attorney General Stefan Ritter, who contacted Plumb on Dec. 20 regarding The Times’ request. In a lengthy response to Ritter, Plumb outlined his defense of why the complaint was not released to The Times. However, Plumb stated that while he was unable to reach the complainant, Bullard did not object to the early disclosure of the document, though he did object to The Times’ request for the complaint on Dec. 16.

When contacted then, the mayor said, “I can’t do that because they haven’t really had a meeting with me to discuss that.”

After Ritter’s follow up concerning this matter, Plumb released a copy of the ethics complaint to The Times.  

“In order to put this matter to rest, I have attached a copy of the ethics complaint,” wrote Plumb.

On Oct. 24, 2011, Hahira citizen Clay Tillman filed the following ethics complaint against Bullard with the City of Hahira Ethics Committee.

“According to the definition of the word Ethics, Ethics is, also known as moral philosophy, a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality — that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime … It is my firm belief that the mayor of the City of Hahira, Wayne Bullard, has violated many ethical issues while holding office since 2007,” Tillman wrote.

Tillman accused Bullard of the following:

1.) In 2010 permission was given by Bullard to Allgreen, the mayor’s employer, to store Allgreen equipment on city property, 6571 Union Road Dumpsite, without bringing the issue before the City Council.

2.) In September 2007, Bullard, on behalf of the City of Hahira, made a written request to Lowndes County that 6751 Union Road be re-zoned from R21 to M2. Tillman found no documentation from the 2007 agendas or City Council meeting minutes that stated the mayor ever told the City Council or the citizens of Hahira of this written request.

In the minutes of the Oct. 8, 2007 Hahira City Council meeting the following public hearings were listed HA-2007-06, HA-2007-07, and HA-2007-08. On Monday, Sept. 10, The Times published the public hearings with the addition of one case number, HA-2007-09, which was the request made by Bullard, on behalf of the City of Hahira, to rezone 6751 Union Road from R21 to M2 in order to try and establish a waste transfer station on this property.

“It is my opinion, and the responsibility of the Ethics Committee of Hahira Georgia, to prove where the Mayor had the authority to act solely on this re-zoning issue for the entire city of Hahira,” wrote Tillman.

3.) According to city attorney Plumb, the contract for curbside pickup with G Waste, LLC., must be given notice by either party 90 days prior to Dec. 31, 2011 for any changes to be made or for termination. On Oct. 24, 2011, it was only 67 days until Dec. 31.

“I accuse that the mayor of the City of Hahira, has purposely voted against the RFP’S (request for proposals) for curbside pickup bids because of his employment with Allgreen, which is a conflict of interest between Griffin and Allgreen and Allgreen will have the right to bid on Hahira’s curbside pick up,” wrote Tillman.

The City of Hahira Ethics Committee will meet 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, Hahira Courthouse, 301 E. Main St., for the purpose of consulting with the city attorney. Any meetings of the ethics committee, including any hearings at which evidence is received is subject to the requirements of the Open Meetings Act.