Tyrone resident and business owner Dick Shelley filed a written complaint with Tyrone Police July 22, asking for an investigation of “Tyrone’s administrative offices for malfeasance in misappropriating public funds and other unlawful acts.“ Mayor Don Rehwaldt confirmed that the investigation has begun.

Shelley’s complaint lists his concerns over alleged improprieties relating to money paid to former town clerk Valerie Caldwell and former town manager Barry Amos. Portions of those amounts, nearly $23,000 for Caldwell and more than $20,000 for Amos, were unaccounted for, the complaint said. The complaint also alleges inconsistencies in the lack of time-sheet record keeping, improprieties in the bidding process and questions over calls by the new administration for a forensic audit of those matters than was later changed to a non-forensic audit.

A July 30 letter from Police Chief Brandon Perkins informed Shelley that an investigation into the matter had begun. Contacted Thursday, Rehwaldt confirmed that Tyrone Police had received Shelley’s complaint letter and that an investigation was underway.

“The Tyrone Council and town management cannot be allowed to sweep all this mismanagement of taxpayers money under the rug, thereby creating an aura of secrecy and lack of confidence in government by the citizens,” Shelley’s letter said.

Shelley requested that his complaint be turned over to the district attorney and Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Shelley has a pending a lawsuit against the town over what he maintains was unfair and illegal treatment in zoning and other issues relating to his rental property on Palmetto Road. Shelley is seeking more than $2.3 million in damages and the invalidation of zoning conditions that are resulting in a loss of business and amounts to abuse of discretion and unreasonable government interference, the suit said.

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