Commissioners deny $100,000 Georgia Strategy Group contract amid transparency and ethics concerns

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 25 voted to deny a $100,000 professional-services contract with Georgia Strategy Group for marketing and community relations (agenda item 92).

The item drew public criticism during the meeting and lengthy commissioner debate over transparency, procurement and conflicts of interest. Speaker Cheryl Garcia told the board she opposed an “open-ended $100,000 per year” contract for a private consultant when the county has an in-house public-relations function and questioned whether the arrangement constituted a conflict because the contractor had worked on commissioners’ campaigns.

During the meeting one commissioner, identified on the record only as a member of the board, said Georgia Strategy Group and George Diaz had worked on his campaign and added, “I do not owe him any favors,” and later said she would vote to deny the contract. Another commissioner and the chair noted the firm had previously provided pro bono assistance to the Boys & Girls Club and that staff said those negotiations had saved the county money on that contract, but the majority of the board raised concerns about process and an absence of a competitive procurement.

The denial motion passed by voice vote. Commissioners discussed, without formal vote at that moment, directing staff to prepare a public request (bid or RFQ) so any firm could compete for future marketing and community relations work; county staff said they would draft the scope and handle procurement in follow up.

Ending: The board rejected the proposed contract and directed staff to pursue a competitive procurement process to solicit proposals for the services, rather than award a single-party contract.