Mounting public concerns expressed at Union City council meetings during the past few months came to a head Tuesday night as Retina Dawson-Young called for Mayor Ralph Moore and Councilwoman Angelette Mealing to resign their elected positions, followed by an announcement by Anika Madden that a recall movement for removal of the two had begun.

Those comments were in addition to those of another dozen residents expressing numerous concerns during the public comments portion of the city council agenda over city management and services. Mealing left the council chambers earlier in the meeting and was not present for the comments. Moore offered no comment except to say after the meeting that residents were exercising their rights in voicing their opinions and engaging in the recall process.

Dawson-Young and Madden said the mayor and councilwoman had participated in numerous activities that warranted their removal from office. Some of those allegations, both singularly and combined, included Georgia Open Meetings law violations, discriminatory conduct and administering special favors, participating in conflicts with the public and private sector, maltreatment of citizens, questionable campaign contributions, errors in financial contribution disclosures and the mayor’s 2005 DUI charge.

“I come before the mayor, city council and citizens of Union City to request that the council, along with the mayor, take a long look at the conduct that has been displayed for the past two and one-half years by the mayor and council members knowingly and openly violating the rights of the citizens of Union City in actions that have taken place publicly,” said Dawson-Young.

She said city government acted with arrogance in thwarting some of the attempts of citizens to participate in their local government and has supported the conduct of the mayor and council.

“So I request tonight, on behalf of myself and several concerned citizens, that Mayor Ralph Moore, that you resign you position based on misconduct in office and that Councilwoman Angelette Mealing resign based on misconduct and clear partiality that has been placed in this community and has escalated to the point where it has become a menace and a nuisance. This request also extends to anyone else on the council who has supported misconduct.”

Dawson-Young said the activities of some on the council have hurt the city and is keeping it from experiencing the type of growth that should occur.

Madden addressed the council a few minutes later, quoting from the Georgia Code of Ethics and the Union City charter in explaining that a local effort had begun to recall both Moore and Mealing.

“It should be known publicly tonight that, based on factual information, grounds for recall have been determined for Councilwoman Angelette Mealing based upon her alleged violation of the Georgia Code of Ethics and Union City ordinances. And it should be known that, again based on factual information, that grounds for recall have been determined for Mayor Ralph Moore based on his alleged violations of the Georgia Code of Ethics and Union City ordinances,” Madden said.

The statements by Dawson-Young and Madden shed a different light on the concerns expressed the other 12 residents who took the podium during the public comments portion of the meeting. Those residents surfaced issues that have come before the council on numerous occasions for more than two years. Concerns Tuesday included the lack of recreation activities for youth and families, lack of access to the city-owned Etris building for recreation and family-activity purposes issues, of increasing crime, including gang activity, dangerous conditions at a school bus stop at a Roosevelt Highway business, gambling and drug transactions at local businesses and a lack of communication between elected officials and the community.

Asked for comments after the meeting, Moore said of the request to resign and the recall movement that residents have a right as citizens to exercise their constitutional rights. Mealing was not available for comment.

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