Council Candidates Question City Council About Urgent Consultant Hire

, a city council candidate for Ward 5, Post 1 and , a candidate for Ward 4, questioned the Douglasville City Council during a specially-called meeting today. The two men questioned the urgency for entering into a consultant agreement with Michael Brown for services to the City of Douglasville pertaining to Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) and Service Delivery Strategy negotiations and agreements between the and the .

The meeting was announced on Friday of last week. Warner said the council should not vote on a holiday, with one council member (LaShun Burr Danley) not present, awarding a $30,000 contract to a husband and wife team without getting at least one other bid from a qualified company.

"What is confusing to me, and many of the citizens of Douglasville, is that we have only heard one proposal to date, yet it is my understanding, the council was called here this morning to vote on the approval of Mr. Michael Brown to represent the city during the negotiating process, at the tune of upwards of $30,000," Warner said to the council.

"I ask you today Mr. Mayor, and the Finance Committee Chairman, to hold off on this vote until at least one more proposal from a qualified company speaks to this council," Warner said.

The city council voted 4-2 to approve the agreement with Brown, with council members Terry Miller and Larry Yockey voting against and LaShun Burr Danley not present.

"Gary is right on," Moyse said. "I don't see the need to rush into a sole-source contract until we have all of the facts. Why select one person without even looking at anyone else? Is that really the in the best interest of the City? Maybe it is, but we'll never know because we haven't looked at anyone else.

"Why the rush? I don't feel like I got a satisfactory answer for that," he continued. "I see the need for the person but not for the rush. Nothing against Mr. Brown, he gave a great presentation but how I do I know he's the best when I have nothing to compare him to?"

"Mr. Mayor, you and this council have a fiduciary responsibility to make the very best and informed decision for the citizens who have elected you, to make these types of decisions on their behalf," Warner said. "Mr. Mayor, Mr. Osborne, people have contacted me and said this specially called meeting and subsequent vote has the appearance of favoritism towards someone that y’all have known for many years.

"If you must vote to approve the only consultant to represent the City, could you at least wait three days for the regular scheduled meeting so all council members will be here since Councilwoman Burr-Danley is out of town?"