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Commissioner Damon Hoyte declines to resign after public questions about court filings
Summary
At an Aug. 6 commission meeting, resident Steve Wagner publicly questioned Commissioner Damon Hoyte about multiple court filings and alleged costs to the county; Hoyte declined to answer some questions and later said he would not resign. The commission entered executive session to discuss personnel and legal matters.
Chair Charles Coffey opened the Aug. 6 regular meeting of the Commission of the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County, Georgia, and provided an opportunity for public comment.
During the open-forum portion, resident Steve Wagner pressed Commissioner Damon Hoyte about court activity. Wagner said he had found court records that included magistrate and superior-court filings he associated with Hoyte and asked direct questions about a Dec. 8, 2022 magistrate plea and subsequent filings. Wagner said he had ‘‘over 35 years’’ in law enforcement and criminal-justice programs and that he intended to forward an ethics complaint to the Georgia Ethics Commission if necessary. Wagner also said he had started collecting documents and recordings related to the matter and asked the commission to seek a written resignation or to hold a vote if Hoyte did not step down.
"I voted for Mr. Hoyte," Wagner said during his remarks, and later told the commission he would continue to investigate and pursue formal complaints.
Commissioner Hoyte declined to answer some of Wagner’s specific questions during the meeting, telling Wagner there were things he could not discuss in that setting. Later in the meeting, after the commission had recessed for an executive session on legal and personnel matters, Hoyte told the commission he had considered resigning after the election but had decided to remain and said he would not resign at this time.
County Attorney Bin Minter reminded the chamber that county commissioners are not required to answer every question posed during public comment. Chairman Coffey later said the subjects discussed in executive session fell within legal exceptions to Georgia’s open-meetings law and that no votes were taken while the commission was in closed session.
The meeting record shows no formal disciplinary action or vote to remove Hoyte was taken at the Aug. 6 meeting. The resident who raised the questions said he planned to submit additional materials to county officials and the Georgia Ethics Commission for review.
The commission’s next regular meeting was scheduled for Sept. 3; several items related to the county’s personnel and legal matters were discussed by staff and the attorney for possible future action.
