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Cusseta–Chattahoochee commissioners reappoint IDA members, approve grants and table CUP after public accusations
Summary
At its Aug. 6 meeting the commission reappointed two Industrial Development Authority members, approved 4‑H funding and a DOT grant, and tabled a conditional‑use permit tied to Commissioner Damon Hoyte; a public commenter accused Hoyte of filing repeated legal actions against the county and asked for his resignation, which Hoyte refused.
The Commission of the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County on Aug. 6 reappointed Walter Miller and Linda Beck to five‑year terms on the county’s Industrial Development Authority and approved a 4‑H funding request and a DOT roundabout relocation grant. Commissioners also moved to table a conditional‑use permit for a property associated with Commissioner Damon Hoyte.
The reappointments of Walter Miller and Linda (Lou) Beck to the Industrial Development Authority were approved by motion and recorded as unanimous. The board also approved renewal funding for 4‑H programming and accepted a DOT roundabout relocation grant during the same session. Separately, the board tabled action on the CUP for 110 Stagecoach Road and recorded Commissioner Hoyte as abstaining; the item was tabled until Dec. 3, 2024, or until a related judgment is reached.
The meeting included a contentious public comment from resident Steve Wagner, who raised questions about legal filings by Commissioner Hoyte and said he was preparing an ethics complaint. Wagner referenced a superior court case (noted in the public record as 23CD072) and asserted that Hoyte had pursued multiple magistrate and superior‑court motions since late 2022, saying those matters could impose costs on taxpayers. Wagner said, “I voted for Mr. Hoyte,” and later requested in public comment that Hoyte resign or be removed if he did not submit a resignation within 14 days; Wagner said he had requested records and would forward a complaint to the Georgia Ethics Commission.
Commissioner Damon Hoyte declined to answer some questions on the record during the meeting and told Wagner there were matters he could not discuss publicly. After the commission reconvened from a closed session, Hoyte said he had considered resigning after the election but would not step down: “I am not going to resign,” he told the board and public.
Chairman Charles Coffey and County Manager Thomas Weaver handled routine business and recognized staff. Several motions to approve minutes from prior meetings were made and recorded as approved unanimously earlier in the agenda. The minutes record an executive session held from 6:47 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. to discuss legal and personnel matters; the board stated no votes were taken during the closed session.
The board’s formal actions recorded in the meeting minutes include tabling the CUP for 110 Stagecoach Road (motion carried with one abstention), reappointing two IDA members for terms through June 30, 2029, approving 4‑H funding, and accepting a DOT relocation grant. The minutes do not show individual roll‑call tallies for most agenda votes, reporting them as unanimous when so recorded.
The commission adjourned the Aug. 6 regular meeting at 7:25 p.m. and scheduled several items for further consideration at upcoming work sessions and meetings.
