East Point City Councilmembers Face Criticism, Scrutiny Over Push To Get, Spend More Taxpayer Dollars–While Cutting Down Their Own Work Schedule, Including A Possible “Recess”

East Point residents are reacting with firm opposition to a suggested plan to drastically alter the city’s Charter in order for the City Council to make changes that would allow them to access thousands more in taxpayer funds for them to use for their own priorities while at the same time they seek to reduce the number of days they are required to hold in-person Council meetings.

But if the effort by some members on the Council succeeds at Monday’s regularly scheduled Council meeting, it will mark the most expansive rewriting of East Point’s City Charter in decades. And residents aren’t happy.

“How are you gonna actually seek to get more of our money, but make it so that you can work less?” asked longtime East Point resident Debra, a public educator. “It’s time for new leadership because these people have no morals and clearly could care less about the community”.

In this past Monday’s Council meeting, Ward B Councilmember Shean Atkins said “Yes” when the city attorney asked Atkins if he was in favor of a series of proposed legal maneuvers which would be required in order to allow the Council to access several thousand dollars more in spending.

The maneuvers would also open the door to rewriting what the Council could actually use the money for: Right now, the City Charter restricts what Councilmembers can use taxpayer dollars on; Atkins appears in favor of changing that altogether.

Ward A At-Large Councilmember Japera Hemming supported Atkins’s position, and went further by requesting the city look at allowing Councilmembers a “recess”–which would be a period where the Council would not be required to have any meetings at all.

“Are they crazy?”, asked Robert, a bus driver who was born and raised in East Point. “They can’t even get a budget passed, and half of them don’t even want to show up for meetings.”

Both Atkins and Hemming recently skipped a pre-scheduled City Council meeting that was slated to address the city’s overdue budget, which was supposed to be finalized and submitted by June 30.

Some residents took issue with a Council seeking increased access to taxpayer funding while at the same time, Trump administration policies have resulted in thousands of East Point residents facing the end or reduction of much-needed SNAP benefits.

“They always want money. Can’t even manage the money they got right now, but want more. And do they even care that a lot of people are losing their food stamps right now?, asked James, who moved to East Point from Riverdale two years ago.

Atkins and Hemming both voiced interest in reducing the number of times the Council meets. Right now, the Council meets 3 times per month–two regular meetings and one work session meeting. Neither of the two Councilmembers suggested taking a pay cut as a tradeoff for working less.

Atkins’s and Hemming’s interest in moving toward a Council with a scaled-back itinerary that nevertheless grants access to more taxpayer dollars has brought scrutiny on both Councilmembers. For months, Hemming has left meetings early by virtue of unexcused absences, an issue that drew discussion and even devate in more than one Council meeting.

She has also appeared virtually from out of state at a Council meeting before.

Meanwhile, Hemming potentially faces ethics complaints over her controversial decision to appoint a Ward C resident to the city’s Ethics Board who was not legally qualified to serve, according to the city attorney’s reading of the City Code. The city attorney advised Hemming that she (the city attorney) believed the Code precluded the resident from being appointed–but Hemming proceeded anyway, ignoring the city attorney’s advice while seeking her own independent legal opinion from the city attorney, a potential ethics violation itself since Councilmembers can only obtain a legal opinion from the city attorney if a majority of Council seeks it.

Hemming did not consult with the Council prior to reaching out to the city attorney, nor did she share the information she received from the city attorney with the entire Council once she was made aware that her appointment was legally questionable based on the City attorney’s opinion.

Records obtained by The East Point News revealed Hemming leaned in heavily to ensure her appointee was seated, and appeared to try to influence staff members to speed up the process.

Atkins faces growing scrutiny over several purchases made via his city-issued credit card, including transactions that are missing receipts along with a donation to a local church made with the card. Georgia Law prohibits taxpayer dollars from being donated to religious organizations.

At the next Council meeting, the city’s budget is expected to be debated and passed.

The next meeting takes place on Monday, August 17.