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Cusseta–Chattahoochee County Commission discloses $5 million lawsuit, holds executive session
Summary
County attorneys told the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 1 that the county faces a lawsuit cited at $5 million; the board entered a closed executive session to discuss personnel and legal matters and later reconvened without taking votes in closed session.
Chairman Charles Coffey said the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County was notified at the Oct. 1 regular meeting that the county is the subject of pending legal matters including a lawsuit cited at $5 million. The board voted unanimously to go into executive session at 6:57 p.m. and reconvened at 7:44 p.m.
County Attorney Bin Minter told the commission the county has two matters pending in Superior Court: an appeal from magistrate court (Case 23-CV-0257) and a separate lawsuit. After returning to open session, Chairman Coffey stated that the subjects discussed in closed session were within the legal exceptions to Georgia’s Open Meetings Act and that no votes were taken while the board was in executive session.
Minter summarized the filings but did not provide additional details on the monetary claim or the underlying causes during the public meeting. An affidavit recorded after the meeting cites the legal authority used to close the session (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-14-2 and 50-14-3) and says minutes of the closed meeting will be kept for in‑camera inspection as required by law.
The board did not take any public actions stemming from the closed session at the Oct. 1 meeting. The minutes state the topics discussed in closed session were personnel matters and legal issues; no hearing date or settlement timetable was announced at the meeting.
