As the World Turns

It's been a while since I updated the blog so here's an update.

• The city finance director, Kelly Clark, was arrested for conspiracy to commit racketeering.
  
• She resigned the previous Friday.
• She got a ride to jail in an undercover Macon Police car- The purple Saturn.
• That ride has prompted an MPD internal investigation to see if any policies were violated in the use of that car for such a transport.
• Mayor Ellis continues to support Kelly Clark, saying that the arrest was political, a witch hunt, and without legal merit since there has been no indictment and since three Grand Juries have examined evidence and "as of this moment" have returned with no charges.

So, the question that is now raised surrounds Clarks presumption of innocence. She hasn't been charged. Also, since a conspiracy- by definition- implies two people involved together to commit the crime: who is the persons or people???

"Protecting the Pension"

They say they're protecting the pension, but really they wanted to prevent the mayor from decreasing the amount that's contributed to the pension fund for city employees. The Macon City Council passed an ordinance in a special called meeting this afternoon that requires the mayor to seek council approval before any changes in contributions to the fund are made.

Council member Filomena Mullis spoke out... wondering why this new ordinance was needed. She wanted to know what the mayor would do with excess funds that would be left-over from decreasing the amount allocated for the pension fund.


Filomena T. Mullis, Macon City Council

The new ordinance was in response to a proposal the mayor suggested as an option to maintain the solvency of the city's finances. Based on a 2004 actuary report of the city's pension fund books... he commented on considering decreasing the amount contributed to the fund from $1.7 million to $400,000.


Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis

He says...

"I don't think we're in a position to fund anything more than the minimum required."