Hogansville Resident Speaks to Council About Transparency

By Todd Pike

The Hogansville City Council held their first meeting of this month on Monday, March 3rd. After approval of the consent agenda, a special presentation was made by the council to the 8 and under Hogansville Razorbacks basketball team, who recently won their league championship. The Razorbacks were coached by Arthez Woodruff, Carlton Martin and Marilyn Woodruff. Each team member was called in front of the crowd and presented a certificate in recognition of their achievement.

Next, there was a citizen appearance by Mike Johnson, who also spoke last month. This month, he wanted to talk about the transparency of the city council. Johnson said he filed an open records request 23 days ago and just received the information at 5:24, approximately an hour and a half before the council meeting, which he was not happy about. He wants information about Mayor Jake Ayers’ properties and business dealings in the city. He claims many properties scheduled to be demolished end up being purchased and remodeled by the mayor and his associates, and that Ayers owns 15 to 20 properties in Hogansville. Johnson then spoke of City Attorney Alex Dixon’s respose to him in February as “totally out of line, totally unprofessional, no decorum. I mean just a sick, sad looking situation to have him representing the city”. He closed by saying he would not stop until he gets all the information he wants and that he would be at the next meeting.

Mayor Ayers thanked Johnson for speaking and using the open records request avenue. He stated that Johnson had asked for 10 years worth of information, which is not easily accesible, and takes time and resources for the city staff to gather. Ayers also stated that he has been remodeling homes for 5-6 years and plans to continue doing so in the future. He also said he would be glad to speak with Mr. Johnson on the phone, or in person, at any time.

In new business, the council unanimously approved the opening of a new checking account at Community Bank and Trust for the 2025 SPLOST funds, which new regulations require. The second piece of new business was the passage of 2025 budget amendments required after the annual city audit. This included the city going from a deficit in the general fund of $547,289 to a profit of $1,028,913.

City Manager Lisa Kelly then reported the Red Speed cameras in front of Hogansville Elementary are ready to be operational, with a 30 day warning period to be in effect before actual tickets are given. Tickets are now being issued for anyone parking in the No Parking areas of the city that have been designated. There are still board openings for Planning and Zoning, Development Authority, Historic Preservation and Parks And Recreation. Kelly then introduced Oasis Nichols, who has been hired as the new Assistant City Manager.

Police Chief Jeffrey Sheppard reported that the next Red Cross blood drive will be Friday, April 25 beginning at 1 pm at the City Annex Building. He also cautioned residents to be careful about burning outdoors because there is a high fire risk, although no burn bans are presently in place.