Politics & Government

Former Mayor Turns Self In, Released on $10,000 Cash Bond

Former Douglasville Mayor Mickey Thompson turned himself in to the Douglas County Jail on Sept. 24 and was released less than two hours later on a $10,000 cash bond.

Former Douglasville Mayor Mickey Thompson turned himself in to the Douglas County Jail on Sept. 24 and was released less than two hours later on a $10,000 cash bond, according to Sheriff Phil Miller.

Miller described the booking as uneventful.

Claud Mitchell Thompson (a.k.a Mickey Thompson) was indicted on 91 counts of theft last week. He was among 78 people indicted, according to Douglas County ο»ΏDistrict Attorney David McDade's websiteο»Ώ.Β 

Find out what's happening in Douglasvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Douglasville Patch has not yet been able to verify if the theft charges stem from an investigation McDade requested that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation made regarding some payments made to the former Douglasville mayor and City Council members.

A Douglas County Sentinel story on June 10 reported that "some Douglasville elected officials may have received thousands of dollars for meetings that do not appear to qualify for payment under city statute."

Find out what's happening in Douglasvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the Sentinel, GBI officials were in Douglasville and reviewed meeting attendance sheets and records of payments. They also requested copies of documents.

In question are meetings that were held via teleconference and by electronic means because the ordinance states that the elected official must attend in person.

Currently the Mayor gets paid $313 per meeting and each City Council member gets paid $125 each, according to City Clerk Joyce Stone. The Mayor is also allowed $400 a month for expenses and each City Council member and the City Attorney are allowed $150 a month.

A Sentinel article points out that, "Douglasville is all alone in using a per-meetings system to calculate compensation."

The newspaper reported that "a survey conducted by the Douglas County Sentinel, using open record requests, showed that cities of comparable population in the extended metro area all pay elected officials a salary, with checks being issued monthly."

Neither the former Mayor nor the District Attorney have returned phone calls, made earlier today, to Douglasville Patch on this matter.

Here are three related Douglasville Patch articles:

Former Mayor Mickey Thompson Among 78 Indicted by Grand Jury Today

Should Mayor and City Council Members Get Paid Per Meeting?


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