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Resident publicly raises ethics concerns, requests Commissioner Hoyte's resignation
Summary
At the Aug. 6 meeting resident Steve Wagner accused Commissioner Damon Hoyte of multiple court filings and alleged costs to the county, said he would file a complaint with the Georgia Ethics Commission, and asked Hoyte to resign; Hoyte declined to answer some questions and later said he would not resign.
A Cusseta resident used the public‑comment period to press the board about the conduct and litigation record of Commissioner Damon Hoyte and asked the commissioner to step down.
"Beginning with on Dec. 8, 2022, did you not plead guilty to a county ordinance within the magistrate court?" resident Steve Wagner asked during the Aug. 6 meeting, pursuing a series of yes/no questions about pleas and subsequent filings. Wagner told the board he has more than 35 years’ experience in law enforcement and criminal justice and said he would forward a complaint to the Georgia Ethics Commission.
Commissioner Hoyte declined to answer some questions during public comment; later in the meeting he said he had considered resigning after election results but ultimately decided not to. "I was going to resign from the commission, but then I thought... I am not going to resign," Hoyte said after the executive session.
County Attorney Bin Minter reminded the public that commissioners are not required to answer questions during public comment. The minutes record Wagner’s statements that he would continue investigating filings he believes are relevant, and that he had requested records via open‑records requests.
The board did not take formal action on Wagner’s requests at the Aug. 6 meeting; Wagner asked the chairman to note his intention to seek an ethics review.
