Resident presses commissioners over lawsuits, urges ethics review of Commissioner Damon Hoyte

A resident at the Aug. 6 meeting of the Commission of the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County accused Commissioner Damon Hoyte of filing multiple legal actions against the county and said he is preparing a complaint with the Georgia Ethics Commission.

Steve Wagner told the board he had ‘‘voted for Mr. Hoyte’’ and then asked a series of questions about Hoyte’s court activity and a prior magistrate-court plea. Wagner said he had found three magistrate filings and seven superior-court filings as of a week before the meeting and characterized the legal activity as costing the county and taxpayers money.

Wagner pressed for answers during the public-comment period and said he would request a written resignation within 14 days unless Hoyte stepped down. Commissioner Hoyte declined to answer some questions during the public session and later told the commission he had considered resigning after the election but decided to remain in office.

County Attorney Bin Minter reminded the room that commissioners are not required to answer public questions during open comment. The commission did not take action on Wagner’s request at the meeting.

The exchange occurred during the portion of the agenda reserved for open forum. No formal motions or votes resulted directly from Wagner’s remarks; commissioners proceeded with routine agenda items and later entered an executive session to discuss personnel and legal matters.

The meeting minutes record the public comment and Hoyte’s statement that he will remain on the commission. Wagner’s comments included a public pledge to continue investigating and to file an ethics complaint; the minutes did not show a response from the Georgia Ethics Commission or any formal referral at that meeting.

The board reconvened after an executive session and adjourned at 7:25 p.m.