Latest news with #SouthFultonCityCouncil
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Fulton mayor announces he will not seek re-election
The Brief South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau announced at a recent city council meeting that he will no longer seek re-election. The city's top official claimed that the salary for the job was too low and had forced him to sell his mother's house and go on food stamps. The mayor and city councilmembers have clashed in the last few months after they accused Kamau of making tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized expenditures with his city purchase card. SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau is no longer seeking re-election. The controversial public figure made the announcement during a presentation to the South Fulton City Council at a meeting this week. What they're saying The mayor told council members and the public that the upcoming State of the City address in May will be his "farewell address." Discussing his time as mayor, Kamau highlighted his work interacting with the community, saying that he has spent his time in office showing up at local events and meeting with constituents to hear about their issues. Kamau claimed that the salary of "about $40,000 per year," which he compared to "the salary of a parks' groundskeeper or sales associate at Target." "As a full-time mayor, I also represent about 2 out of 3 Americans for whom a $1,000 bill can mean a financial disaster," he said. He claimed that the salary forced him to sell his mother's house and temporarily be on food stamps. For the remainder of his term, Kamau says he will be scaling down his work, spending the last seven months as a "part-time mayor." According to South Fulton records, the salary of the mayor of South Fulton is $47,000. Kamau had proposed last year to raise the salary to $85,000. The backstory Kamau became mayor in 2021 after beating former Mayor Bill Edwards. In January, city council members accused Kamau of making tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized expenditures with his city purchase card. Officials accused Kamau of using his city-issued purchase card to make unauthorized purchases, including a 20-day trip to Ghana, spending approximately $26,000 without the city's approval. The mayor has defended his trips, stating that they were business-related and part of his economic development plans. As a response to the allegations, the city council limited Kamau's access to his office at South Fulton City Hall and put restrictions on his city-issued vehicle and card. His access to facilities has since been restored after conversations with the city's attorney. Last month, the City Council said that Kamau had used city funds to commission a mural for his office without proper authorization, taking the funds to pay the finish the work directly from the mayor's salary. At a meeting earlier in April, the city council adopted a new policy requiring all international travel be pre-approved by a majority of its members. What's next With Kamau out of the race, Edwards, Councilwoman Carmalitha Gumbs, and Navy veteran Kelvin J. Davis are now in the race for South Fulton's top job. The Source Information for this story came from a presentation given by South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau at a city council meeting and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of South Fulton adopts new travel policy after mayor's controversial trip to Ghana
The South Fulton City Council passed a new international travel policy this week. It comes amid the ongoing controversy over Mayor Khalid Kamau's spending, including a trip to Ghana last year. Under the policy, the majority of the council must now pre-approve any international trip on the city's behalf. The official proposing the trip must provide an itinerary that includes the estimated costs for the trip and how it benefits the city. The official must also give a post-trip report when they return. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Channel 2 investigator reporter Ashli Lincoln has been reporting for months on allegations that the mayor misused taxpayer money on international trips and certain luxury items. The mayor previously told Lincoln that his trips were business-related and were a part of his economic development and world tour. South Fulton City Council members later filed an ethics complaint against the mayor and ordered an audit for his purchases. The council also voted to freeze the mayor's budget and limit his authority. In a statement, Councilwoman Helen Willis said the new policy passed this week will ensure that all trips will have 'clear guidelines, proper oversight, and a demonstrated public benefit.' RELATED STORIES: South Fulton mayor says eviction attempt is politically motivated South Fulton mayor's paycheck to be garnished over $5,000 mural installed in his office South Fulton mayor claims it's the city council who's misspending money City of South Fulton releases video of mayor being escorted from City Hall, emptying car South Fulton mayor stripped of most privileges, must return expensive items he purchased [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Fulton mayor says eviction attempt is politically motivated
City of South Fulton renters say they were surprised when learning that their neighbor, Mayor Khalid Kamau, is in jeopardy of being evicted from an apartment complex on Bakers Ferry Road. 'You can't trust someone that can't keep up their own finances and life to run the city,' said renter Mlyk Williams. South Fulton residents were split after learning the news about his possible eviction. 'It has nothing to do with his function as a public official; that's really his private life,' Drew De Man said. Fulton County court documents show a summons was given to Kamau on March 19 for $1,663.77 for back rent for the month of March. RELATED STORIES: South Fulton mayor's paycheck to be garnished over $5,000 mural installed in his office South Fulton mayor claims it's the city council who's misspending money City of South Fulton releases video of mayor being escorted from City Hall, emptying car South Fulton mayor stripped of most privileges, must return expensive items he purchased The mayor told Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln in a statement: 'I represent over 200 million Americans for whom an unexpected expense of $1,000 can mean financial catastrophe.' In February, South Fulton City Council members voted to freeze the mayor's budget and limit his authority after allegations that he used taxpayer money for international trips and unauthorized purchases for his office. Lincoln spoke with supporters of Kamau, who said recent attempts to discreet him are politically motivated. 'I think the mayor gets some unjust criticism,' South Fulton resident Mike Johnson said. The mayor's position is a part-time position that pays roughly $47,000 a year. Kamau went on to say in his statement: 'I wasn't expecting to need a legal team when I announced my re-election plans in January, but I guess that's the way the political game is played now.' 'Who needs to know? It's not affecting the function of the government, and at a time when a lot of people are facing evictions, it's very expensive to live in America right now,' De Man said. The Fulton County Marshall's Office said this case is going through the dispossessory process, and a judge has not yet signed off on executing the eviction.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Fulton mayor can get back into his office, but not his car
The South Fulton City Council has voted to allow Mayor Khalid Kamau to have access to his office and City Hall less than a week after taking those privileges away. The city council says the mayor will be allowed to resume his official duties on city premises, but he will not be allowed to use his city-issued vehicle. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] This comes after city council members voted last week to strip him of most of his privileges. For weeks, Channel 2 investigator reporter Ashli Lincoln has been looking into allegations that the mayor misused taxpayer money on international trips and lavish office furniture. RELATED STORIES: South Fulton mayor defends controversial spending during 'Mayor Mondays' event 'I told everyone no:' Former purchasing manager says South Fulton mayor has a problem with spending South Fulton mayor walks out of city council meeting early after expenses questioned $1,800 table, flight upgrades: Residents want South Fulton mayor investigated for his purchases Trip to Ghana, drone, flights: South Fulton mayor made $26,000 in unauthorized purchase The mayor previously told Lincoln that his trips were business-related and were a part of his economic development and world tour. On Thursday, the city released 28 minutes of body camera footage showing officers escorting the mayor out of City Hall and helping him empty out his city-issued Mustang. 'The City Council remains committed to upholding transparency, accountability, and responsible governance. These measures were not taken lightly but were necessary to protect the integrity of city operations. The Council will continue to evaluate the situation as the investigation progresses and will provide further updates as needed,' the city council said in a statement. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Fulton mayor must return purchases, access to city buildings revoked
The Brief South Fulton City Council strips Mayor Khalid Kamau of his duties and spending privileges over allegations of unauthorized spending totaling $26,000. Council orders Kamau to return city-issued property, including a vehicle, drone, pool table, and film studio equipment, while revoking his access to city buildings. Kamau defends his spending as part of economic development plans, but the council cites unauthorized resource use, policy violations, and breach of public trust as reasons for their actions. SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - The South Fulton City Council has voted to strip Mayor Khalid Kamau, also known as Mayor Kobi, of most of his duties and spending privileges. What we know The mayor has been accused of using his city-issued purchase card to make unauthorized purchases, spending approximately $26,000 without the city's approval. Councilwoman Helen Willis told FOX 5 Atlanta that Mayor Khalid even used the card to fund a trip to Africa. RELATED: Mayor Khalid Kamau faces scrutiny over spending $26K in South Fulton funds Willis also stated that city officials must provide appropriate justification within 72 hours of making a purchase with the card. However, 112 receipts belonging to Mayor Kamau had not been reconciled or submitted. Although the city does not have a policy against international travel, the p-card cannot be used for personal expenses. The backstory In late January, the city council voted to audit the mayor's spending. RELATED: South Fulton City Council votes for audit of Mayor Khalid Kamau's spending At the time, Mayor Khalid expressed frustration over the situation, saying he was distressed and disappointed that they were tearing each other down, especially right before the start of Black History Month. The mayor also defended his trips, stating that they were business-related and part of his economic development plans. Previously, the council also voted to suspend international travel for 30 to 45 days while the current policy undergoes review. What's next During Tuesday night's city council meeting, officials decided that Mayor Khalid must return: His city-issued electric vehicle A $1,300 drone A $1,000 recreational pool table Various film studio equipment Additionally, three Mac devices purchased for the mayor will be redistributed, and the locks on the mayoral suite will be changed. Kamau's access to all city buildings and facilities has been revoked. The City Manager was also directed to draft a memorandum to all employees effective immediately to cease and desist all interaction with the mayor. Any employee who violates the directive will be subject to immediate disciplinary action. According to the city council, they reached a consensus that the mayor "has engaged in the unauthorized use of resources, abuse of his position, refusal to follow city policies, and engaged in conduct unbecoming to a member, which constitutes a breach of public trust." The council stated that these actions will remain in effect until all city investigations are complete. What they're saying The South Fulton City Council issued the following statement: The City of South Fulton City Council has taken action following concerns about the Mayor's unauthorized use of city resources, refusal to follow policies and conduct unbecoming of a public official. Effective immediately, the Mayor's access to the city budget—excluding salary and benefits—and all city buildings, facilities, and access to the city-owned electric vehicle has been revoked. Additionally, the Council has ordered the reassignment or return of unauthorized equipment and secured the mayoral suite to ensure accountability. The City Council has ordered that staff and employee communication with the mayor be restricted pursuant to the City Charter. These temporary measures will remain in place, where feasible until all city investigations are complete. The Council remains committed to responsible governance and safeguarding taxpayer resources. Dig deeper According to the mayor's bio on the city's website, Mayor Khalid Kamau is a community activist and labor organizer who became the first #BlackLivesMatter organizer elected to public office. Before entering politics, he helped organize MARTA transit workers and led the Atlanta chapter of Black Lives Matter. Elected to South Fulton City Council in 2017, Kamau championed policies focused on economic justice, housing, and public safety. His key achievements include creating a $1 million Pedestrian Safety Fund, a Blighted Property Fund, and passing legislation to make Juneteenth a paid city holiday. He also supported efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15, expand affordable housing, and decriminalize marijuana. A self-described "Elected Activist", Kamau has been featured by CBS, The Nation, and Governing Magazine. As mayor, he sought to transform South Fulton—America's Blackest Big City—into a national model for economic and restorative justice. Since taking office, the mayor has been in the spotlight for several reasons. In April 2023, South Fulton police shut down an egg hunt put on by the mayor because he didn't have the proper permit. In July 2023, Mayor Khalid was arrested for felony burglary and trespassing after being discovered in a house on a property off Cascade Palmetto Highway. In December 2023, the mayor closed his office on a Monday to stand with Palestine. The city council said at the time that he did not have the authority to close his office when the city was open for business. In October 2024, Mayor Khalid proposed increasing his salary from $47,000 to $85,000, sparking concerns among residents. In addition to the issue with the purchase card, there has also been debate on whether the mayor's dog should be allowed in City Hall.
