By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

The State Ethics Commission will meet Monday to hear a complaint against Fayetteville resident Carl Avrit.

The complaint was filed by Janet Smola, cochairman of the political action committee that worked to pass a one-cent special local option sales tax in September for school improvements and expansion. Avrit opposed the SPLOST, and launched a last-minute campaign to defeat the referendum via the telephone.

“My contention is that Mr. Avrit violated the Georgia Ethics in Government Act, Article 2, section 21-5-34,” said Smola. “That article states that all advertising pertaining to a referendum must be identified by the principle officer of the campaign committee by listing or stating the name and title of the principle officer,” Smola said.

The phone calls received by citizens did not identify their source and, according to Smola, contained erroneous information. She has said that Avrit also used subversive tactics to defeat the SPLOST in September.

The commission determined in November that there was probable cause to pursue the investigation. Two other complaints against Avrit were dismissed at that time.

The commission meets at 10 a.m. at the new Douglas County Court House on Hospital Drive (off Fairburn Road) in Douglasville. Teddy Lee, a spokesman for the commission, said the complaint was one of the earlier ones noted on the agenda.