As the news crashed on Wednesday regarding Don Buie, it was easy to miss one grant in the mess of all of that. There was a lot there, and it’s only a start. Especially with WALB reporting that Lott asked Buie who “Shanon Lee” was, and Buie revealed what we all already knew: that it was Shanon Buie. Lott asked Buie to resign, and he didn’t.
Easy to miss, except by SWGA Politics readers of course, was the $50,000 grant to Lajunna Woods. Keep in mind the fact that the ADICA board never voted on the grant. Woods, an ADICA board member and owner of L’Jua’s Restaurant, has a bit of a history. Reports have surfaced that Woods’ liquor license was issued illegally due to her proximity to Albany State University. This was before she got her seat on the ADICA board…thanks to Mayor Willie Adams.
Of course, Woods isn’t the only with questions to answer. Albany Tomorrow’s bookkeeper, Shonnie King needs to explain why she was cutting checks based on nothing more than an email when you’re dealing with taxpayer dollars. Kris Newton, the city’s director of finance, told the Albany Herald “If there were legitimate invoices for the payments, we have not been able to locate them.” How, on God’s green Earth, could this happen?
The number one problem with this whole mess is complex. It’s a complete and total lack of oversight. There has been no one asking these questions until recently, and that’s inexcusable. While word has it that Commissioner Marietta asked for the audit that finally ended Buie’s tenure as downtown manager, I can’t help but ask where he and the rest of the Commission has been this whole time.
Here in the aftermath of what was Don Buie, there are still more questions. While the GBI investigation proceeds, we await whatever will happen next. What seems inevitable to me is that business as usual must not be allowed to continue. It’s clear that ADICA’s board was unsuccessful in their ability to oversee the downtown manager. An investigation needs to be launched as to why the board was so ineffective.
We also see a City Commission that is oblivious to what was going on. Up until Tuesday afternoon, Roger Marietta was defending ADICA during emails with Tim Coley. It seems that it wasn’t until news broke of the Shanon Lee checks that Commissioner Marietta seemed to take the side of groups like the Dougherty County Taxpayer’s Association. It is possible that this was just one accusation to many for Commissioner Marietta, but it’s still pretty telling that many have been pointing out the discrepancies for some time now and Commissioner Marietta seemed either oblivious or complicit.
With checks without clear documentation totally over $30,000, it’s clear the ball was dropped by both the ADICA board and the City of Albany. It’s past time for someone to step up, take the hit, and get it fixed. If they won’t do it, I suspect their opponents in the next election will be happy to remind the people of their failure to do so.
It’s painfully obvious that there has to be some major house-cleaning downtown. Buie is only the start. Lott, Adams, the entire ADICA board, the commission, Shonnie King, Monique Broughton, all his buddies, er..um.. I mean vendors, and I’m sure others… It’s just hard to stomach that this many people were so totally oblivious to Buie’s antics… oblivious, negligent, incompetent…. complicit? So many possible adjectives. Oh, this is gonna be good.
Agreed. There needs to be a serious investigation, and it needs to be independent. No one with any ties to downtown in any way. They need complete access to everything and present their findings to the public first. None of this “we’ll look at it first and see how much hot water we’re in” BS. No, release it to media outlets first and foremost and then let the commission discuss it.
However, there are a lot of people who need to go, that much is obvious. If King was following orders in cutting the checks withou invoices, we need to know who issued the order and for what official reason. We need to know how complicit King is in this whole mess. We need to know who in the city knew what and when they knew it and what they did with it.
What’s coming down the pipe won’t be pleasant for those involved. This will be a factor in the upcoming elections for Commissioners Hubbard and Langstaff. Commissioner Gurr, by not running, may well be the lucky one out of the three who are up for reelection…because he’s stepping down!
The upcoming elections should be very interesting if nothing else.
It is obvious the ADICA Board either exercised little to no oversight or was virtually totally ineffective. Although I am not a fan of most work done by CPA firms, were any audits made? If so, what did the auditors do, what did it cost, and who has seen the report(s)? Audits are generally required by law and internal controls are always evaluated.
I have a feeling this thing goes well beyond Buie and it is time to look at all the “players”–and what has been going on with downtown money for years before he arrived. We haven’t gotten much for the monies spent.
What was Jay Reynolds being paid for? An excellent line of questioning would be to obtain his billing records to ADICA and compare the billing to the actions taken. These billing records should be public record given they were paid with public funds.
It’s very hard to believe two attorneys could attend ADICA meetings for months and months (Buie was here for almost two years, I believe) and yet both were totally oblivious to issues involving leases, grants and vendor payments until the mother of Buie’s girlfriend comes forward.
Am I the only one that thinks this is EXTREMELY STRANGE??
According to WALB, Interim ADICA director Taylor “has no intention” of rescinding the $6 million Buie boondoggle bond. Sounds like Mr. Taylor needs to be unemployed as well.
http://www.walb.com/global/Category.asp?C=151146&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=15000&topVideoCatNoB=98800&topVideoCatNoC=65948&topVideoCatNoD=138451&topVideoCatNoE=157109&clipId=4001755&topVideoCatNo=15000&autoStart=true
No, Jack, you are not. But, what we now see was caused by a total breakdown in management oversight by everyone involved–no exceptions.
This is what happens when you have a “czar” handling an issue that no one has an answer to. Hence, I had, and have, the same concerns with what ATI did–no one knew what to do with redevelopment so everyone closed the eyes and hoped for the best.
Too much money available and vast projects were undertaken with half-vast ideas. And just look at what we got!
Perhaps it is time to “strike the tent” on downtown since we don’t have, and can’t seem to hire, folks capable of managing the task.
What a train wreck!
I don’t know what Tom, Jeff or Kevin knows, but I’ve posted the questions here and on the preceding Buie thread that I’d ask if I were investigating (eg. possible kickback on dollar store, possible kickback on grant to Woods, role of the two attorneys on board).
One other question that should be targeted right between Taylor’s eyes is, how, since he has been the ADICA CEO for roughly 24 hours, he can speak with such assurance (i.e. arrogance) about moving forward with Buie’s $6 million project? How can he possibly have investigated and researched the merits (or even legitimacy) of this Buie-planned expenditure, since by all acounts ADICA’s records are a shambles? Was Taylor previously more involved with ADICA/Buie than he now wants us to believe?
I noticed Marietta and Langstaff tripping over themselves to praise Taylor today. Wasn’t it not that long ago they were Buie fans?
Now, it is reported Dollar Square has not paid rent. The sweetheart deal called for $1 per month for X amount of time. The $1 was not even collected. Some one should “do some time” for this! This entire situation has set all-time lows on several accounts.
In all fairness to Taylor, I believe he pointed out that the bond could only be rescinded by the City Commission, but don’t quote me on that.
However, I do know that just because someone disagrees with me doesn’t mean he needs to be unemployed. However, those who ultimately hire him and his boss do need to become unemployed if they don’t rescind this bond ASAP. There’s to damn many questions left to be answered.
Don Buie worked for Al Lott and the City Commission, not the ADICA board. Yes, the board should have had more oversight over projects and expenditures, but Buie reported directly to Lott, was reviewed by Lott, was fired by Lott and was a CITY employee. He gave reports to the city commission. His replacement, Jim Taylor, was appointed by Lott and is also a city employee. Taylor and Buie worked on ADICA projects together and officed next door from each other and within sight of Lott’s office all in the city government suite. Mayor Adams and/or Tommy Postel were responsible for the Lajuana Woods appointment and liquor license process.
So while the ADICA board needs to be fixed, it was and is the city that created a mixed up management and oversight system. Don’t let these city managers and politicians off the hook. If they escape responsibility, tis sort of thing will continue to happen. And do you really think this is an isolated incident?
Don’t worry. We’re only getting started.