Pendergrass residents seek recall

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Pendergrass residents seek recall

Wednesday, September 23. 2009

A group of Pendergrass residents are seeking the recall of the mayor and city council because of alleged misuse of public funds.

A petition with the signatures of 37 people, which is more than 10 percent of the registered voters in the small North Jackson town, was submitted last week.

The mayor and council have filed a petition asking for a court review of the allegations. A court date has not been set yet, but Judge John Ott of Monroe has been assigned the case. The recall effort will not move forward until after a hearing is held.

If the judge determines the allegations are sufficient for a recall, within 10 days, a recall election must be called and date set for a vote.

For the complete story, see the September 23 issue of The Jackson Herald.

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#1 Sick & Tired on 09/23/09 at 01:21 PM [Reply]

How did I miss that? I would love to sign that petition! I feel a little left out! Bravo to whomever collected the signatures!!!

#2 FJCR a.k.a. One krazy Redneck on 09/23/09 at 08:29 PM [Reply]

It's a wonder the Mayor and city council didn't try to get a hold of that petition and loose or misplace it like they did with all the other records from Pendergrass? And if the Mayor looses the recall and the city council gets booted out of office then Pendergrass should if any of them or their families own a business in Pendergrass make them move it too. That way they will have no ties and no reason to come to Pendergrass?

#3 Unbelievable on 09/24/09 at 08:37 AM [Reply]

Bravo to everyone in Pendergrass for following through with this. Elected officials need to learn that they cannot and will not be able to get by with corruption anymore. I can't wait to see how this turns out!

I'm still wondering how they hired a new police chief without having a public council meeting to discuss and vote on it - maybe they can answer this at next Tuesday nights council meeting?

#3.1 FJCR a.k.a. One krazy Redneck on 09/24/09 at 09:16 PM [Reply]

NO Unbelievable that's what that private meeting at Tolberts Real Estate office was for. They don't want no public input that way they can hire who they want one of their friends someone who will protect them from Mike Buffington and the TRUTH. When they get rid of the Mayor and city council and their families they can throw the new police chief out with the rest of them. He's probably just as dirty as the rest of them are.

#3.1.1 Ziggy on 10/01/09 at 03:35 PM [Reply]

The truth has yet to come out. Lets see how Buffington reacts when the GBI clears Pendergrass of any wrong doing. The city attorney is excatly right, you have to be on the agenda to speak at ANY city council meeting. If you dont believe go try it any where in Georgia. Buffington is just settling old scores with this one!

#3.1.1.1 Mike Buffington on 10/01/09 at 03:43 PM [Reply]

To clarify, Pendergrass has for many years had on open comment time for the public at every public meeting it held, no preregistration required. That was changed this week without any notice to the public that they now have to register in advance. I have no idea what you're talking about with "old scores."

#3.1.1.1.1 John Simmons on 10/01/09 at 06:30 PM [Reply]

Actually, most cities do not allow anyone to just speak at their meetings. The City of Pendergrass has allowed this to occur while virtually all other cities/counties in GA do not allow an "open mike" forum. Whether or not they used to and have changed is really irrellevant. In ten years from now, you will still see that Pendergrass will follow other cities and not allow "open mike" forums. The City of Pendergrass has learned, as has the other cities/counties in GA to have a set registration for airing public input. Why isn't Jefferson, Braselton, and Jackson County being called out for not allowing the public to speak?

#3.1.1.1.1.1 Mike Buffington on 10/01/09 at 07:16 PM [Reply]

Some towns do allow an open mike process. Most have a sign up sheet for people to use when the go into the meeting room if they want to address the board or council. Pendergrass could have done that Tuesday night, but didn't. I don't know of any government around here that has shut down any citizen input as Pendergrass did this week. It's a sign of fear and weakness that Pendergrass leaders declined to hear from the public they were elected to represent.

#3.1.1.2 FJCR a.k.a. One krazy Redneck on 10/01/09 at 09:42 PM [Reply]

Ziggy You say wait until the GBI clears Pendergrass of any wrong doing and Buffington is just settling old scores with this one BUT what you gonna do when the GBI finds wrong doing in Pendergrass? Buffington has a duty to report the news and he won't lay down and be run over by the Tolberts or you.Yall don't like it because with him around yall can't do what you want.

#3.1.1.3 Speechless on 10/02/09 at 10:26 AM [Reply]

Wait until the GBI clears Pendergrass - Are you crazy??? I guess you haven't read all of the articles or listened to the reports on Fox 5 News. Ziggy the whistleblowers have taped evidence of wrongdoing by the Pendergrass city leaders. While not all of the allegations are criminal the rest certainly are enough to have the entire lot of them thrown out of town just based on the corruption. Just because someone isn't found gulity on criminal charges doesn't mean that they're not guilty of civil wrong doings. I guess you must be realted to the "family" if you are able to stick up for these idiots. I for one think Mike Buffington is doing a great job. I feel that if the focus is taken off these people then who knows what will happen. At least now they know someone is watching and maybe that will help keep them under control until the GBI investigaiton is completed.

#3.1.1.3.1 FJCR a.k.a. One krazy Redneck on 10/02/09 at 10:37 AM [Reply]

No Speechless Ziggy must be in on it too. He may be one of the ones that is facing being run out of town on a rail.

#4 Michael McCarthy on 09/28/09 at 08:34 AM [Reply]

When the people fear the government it is tyranny. When the government fears the people it is liberty.

I smell the sweet scent of freedom in the city of Pendergrass.

#4.1 thetruthandnothingbut on 10/12/09 at 10:55 AM [Reply]

Mike....one more time! Just report the news...not make it!!!

#4.1.1 Michael McCarthy on 10/12/09 at 11:38 AM [Reply]

I think Mike is doing his job reporting the news. The fact that sometimes he becomes part of the news is no reason not to report it. What are you afraid of?????

#4.1.2 FJCR a.k.a. One krazy Redneck on 10/12/09 at 09:38 PM [Reply]

thetruthandnothingbut you just don't understand do you? Mike didn't start this Monk Tolbert and the city council did? So let me get this straight YOU THINK that if Monk or any member of the council had slapped Mike in the face he shouldn't report the assault because the way you think and see it if Mike wasn't there they couldn't slap him so he was trying tomake the news he reports.

#4.2 thetruthandnothingbut on 10/13/09 at 12:04 PM [Reply]

I am not afraid of anything Michael! I've known you for years, so don't stoop to that level with me, just because you disagree with what I'm saying. I just think Mike goes overboard, and tends to abuse his forum at times. Like I pointed out, Mike turns a blind eye to what is going on else where in the county, simply because those people are his buddies. The sheriff's department and Magistrate court need to be cleaned up, too. It's all in who you know. Justice is not granted equaly in this county. A quick look at a certain clerk's facebook page will give you some insight into what I'm talking about. The whole county needs a through cleaning out!!!

#5 MaybeSomethingWillbeDone on 10/09/09 at 01:58 PM [Reply]

ANYONE INTERESTED IN BEING IN THE COURT ROOM WITH THE CITIZENS OF PENDERGRASS:::::THE RECALL HEARING WILL BE IN THE JACKSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE ROOM 1 AT 9:30AM FRIDAY OCTOBER 16TH (NEXT FRIDAY)

Remember if you live in Jackson County you have a stake in this for Democracy starts at the local level. How this Pendergrass issue ends is how other citys and countys will follow suit. Although the credit card use may not be County citizen concern; the misuse of SPLOST funds are. County citizens pay ... SPLOST. Although there is not "legal" way to reprimand elected officials for misuse of SPLOST by not doing something about it YOU are saying it's okay to do whatever with YOUR tax money. DO SOMETHING!! CHANGE HOW DEMOCRACY HAS BECOME! SHOW THE CITIZENS OF PENDERGRASS YOU CARE WHAT HAPPENS IN GOVERNMENT!!!!! Is it right to let elected officials do "what ever the hell they want to do?" (quoted by the Mayor of Pendergrass) Is it right to stop PUBLIC COMMENT at city council meetings because the elected officials do not care what the citizens have to say. Since when should citizens be SILENCED?

THE MORE WHO SHOW WILL PROVE TO THE JUDGE AT THE HEARING THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY.

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