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Maxwell tries cover-up, conflict of interestTue, 09/18/2007 - 3:42pm
By: Letters to the ...
I was shocked to read that Fayette County Commissioner Eric Maxwell, an attorney by trade, actually came to the Peachtree City Municipal Court representing a client. The problem was he still remains a back-up judge for the court. Maxwell admitted to the conflict when he showed up with the client. Trying to help your friends pass through court on your personal leverage is very harmful to the judicial process. That move could run afoul of the ethical codes of both government and the state bar. I applaud the Peachtree City solicitor for refusing to bow to Maxwell’s courtroom muscle-flexing. Unfortunately, Commissioner Maxwell surfaced again when the Fayette County Commission violated the Open Meetings Act. Yes, indeed, they did violate the laws governing the openness in government. They withdrew to executive session to discuss a legal matter, but they did not have their attorney present. Thus, the need to convene and eschew the public by citing attorney-client privilege was invalid. The proper remedy for this violation would have been an apology. However, Commissioner Maxwell proceeded to move that the meeting minutes be amended to cover up what had happened. The cover-up consisted of a fabricated story that did not – and could not – have happened. Even more worrisome was Commissioner Peter Pfeifer, who deemed an open records violation was in the works, failing to speak out as the violation was being committed. This is the same Pfeifer who authored a recent letter to the editor explaining that he had to vote for a countywide tax increase because several other commissioners had elected to vote for one. How did they manage to take away Pfeifer’s free will? Similar antics have cropped up in Peachtree City with the mayor persuading council members to place a 100 percent salary increase on the council agenda while he abstained from the vote “for personal reasons.” The County Commission is also abandoning the practice of maintaining low-density residential zoning by rezoning land to a higher density use. If this trend continues, it will be bad news for our schools and our roads. I voted for Eric Maxwell and Jack Smith. I felt I had no alternative since their predecessors kept pounding Peachtree City, Tyrone and North Fayette County. Maxwell’s latest actions now have me wondering if he will be worse than his predecessor. Growth beyond the norms is becoming a real issue for Peachtree City and Fayette County. My hope is our county commissioners make open government a priority, and they save the future of our county by adhering to a low-density land use strategy. Any other direction would be harmful to us all in the long term. Steve Brown stevebrownptc@ureach.com Peachtree City, Ga. [Brown is a former mayor of Peachtree City.] login to post comments![]() |