EAST POINT CITY NEW GOVERNING BODY
Happy New Year to all East Point Residents!! I am not going to reflect on the dismal past governing year. It is hard enough to write about the upon coming governing year based on what is transpiring with our newly elected Mayor and two new Council Members. We have just elected a new Mayor and two new Council Members to a very weak and dysfunctional Council. The newly elected Mayor and one Council Member were mainly elected due to back- lash votes against their opponents rather than positive votes based on their candidacy. Add this to a weak and dysfunctional existing Council with only one bright spot is a recipe for a very bad year.
Mayor Keisha Chapman and the two new Council Members Japera Hemming and Andrea Caldwell were elected to help eliminate fraud; stop the illegal violations of our governing laws and policies; incompetence; and provide transparency. However, their first action is more of what the VOTERS were trying to get rid of. I do not have any idea with whom they were working with concerning their public swearing in ceremony expected at the first Council Meeting in January. I personally called Mayor-Elect Chapman and discussed the protocol that was used for MY and the other Council Members public swearing in ceremony that was legal and if I must say regal.
In 2010, the Council voted to move the first Council Meeting in January to a larger venue to accommodate the larger expected crowd. Only the Council can change the site/time of a Council Meeting. The Council chose Tri-Cities Auditorium with the time to allow for a more elaborate swearing in ceremony prior to the Council Meeting. I along with the other newly elected Council Members used campaign funds/donations to pay for a caterer and set-up in the space outside of the Auditorium. The City only paid the legal expense for the space and set-up for the Council Meeting and placing the notice of the change of venue in the paper as required by our Charter. Federal Law and State Law forbid the use of taxpayers’ money to pay for an inaugural event associated with an Election.
Yet here we are with a scheduled inaugural ceremonial event for our NEW Mayor and two Council Members paid for by the taxpayers with expected overpaid lavish entertainment! All three of them should know better. Whoever authorized the expenditures to be pay for by the City should be fired and made to reimburse the taxpayers. More of the same arrogance and violations of our Laws and Policies is not CHANGE! Likewise, only the Council can authorize the use of the City’s name and seal to be used. The inaugural announcement/invitation that is being circulated was not authorized by the Council.
Let’s be clear. Our newly elected Mayor and two Council Members did lack any legal authority to act as agents of the City in any capacity until One Second after Midnight on January 1, 2026. The City Manager lacks any authority concerning the planning of all election events; or any event concerning the Mayor and Council. This does not preclude the City Manager from implementing specific legal plans Voted on by the Council. I will have more to say about our City Manager’s audacious actions later. This article deals with the illegal and inappropriate actions of our new Mayor and two Council Members. All three of them should know better.
Although I am disappointed their actions, I will not abandon them, and neither should any of the Residents. It is apparent that they need help and we should support them by not asking for personal favors nor by letting them get by with illegal behavior. I look forward to the CHANGE that got them elected. I hope that more care will be taken for the leadership appointments at the first Council Meeting. This will tell us a great deal about our new Mayor and Council for 2026 and beyond.
Needless to say, I will not be attending the inaugural ceremonial event. I will provide an UPDATE of the expenses for this event that violates Federal and State Law and therefore our Charter.
