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September 2, 2010
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Sparks flying after Grayson mayor’s race
Published December 18, 2009
Following less than cordial mayoral campaigns last month between Mayor Jim Hinkle and challenger Damon Ladd-Thomas, the incumbent soundly defeated the challenger to hold onto his longtime seat by a 260 to 54 vote majority.
Ladd-Thomas said he thought that was the end of it, especially after calling Hinkle to concede defeat and congratulate him on his win.
That, however, has not been the case, according to Ladd-Thomas.
Dated the day after the election, Ladd-Thomas said he received a letter from the city citing three code violations relating to his business address and the address of the Georgia Commerce Club, a civic organization co-founded by Ladd-Thomas. The letter from the city contends Ladd-Thomas was operating more than one business out of his home as well as the Georgia Commerce Club without applying for an occupational tax license on any of them. Ladd-Thomas said he has since received another letter from the city’s attorneys dated Dec. 7 requesting Ladd-Thomas alter his Twitter page, which is named TheCityofGrayson, to ensure it doesn’t cause confusion regarding any official City of Grayson site. At this point Grayson does not have a Twitter page but does have an official Web site.
Ladd-Thomas said Hinkle also recently posted on Facebook clarifying the difference between the city’s official “Grayson Tour of Homes” to raise money for the Historic Society that took place on Dec. 5 and the “Christmas Tour of Homes,” that took place Dec. 6 and was advertised by Ladd-Thomas on behalf of the Gwinnett County Visitors Bureau. The Dec. 6 event was to raise funds for Grayson High School cheerleaders. On his Facebook page, Hinkle advised people “not to be confused by others trying to use our official name.” The letter from the attorney regarding the Twitter page was sent to Ladd-Thomas three days later.
Ladd-Thomas says the letters are a “direct harassment and misuse of power by our elected officials.”
“I’m can’t understand why — sore winners I guess,” Ladd-Thomas said, adding he responded to the city explaining the Georgia Commerce Club is not yet officially “founded” and his address is merely temporary pending the official launch. He said he also showed that his business is actually registered in Stone Mountain.
Hinkle, however, said there is no issue between he and Ladd-Thomas personally and the issues are as a result of the city acting on its own behalf to enforce its ordinances. In addition, contrary to Ladd-Thomas’ belief, Hinkle said the issue regarding the occupational tax license, for the businesses at least, has not been resolved.
“Our code enforcement officer came across some advertisements that showed Mr. Ladd-Thomas was advertising a financial planning business out of his home in Gray-son, under one or more names. The business names indicated the entities were incorporated, but when checked, the secretary of state had no records of any such active corporations, although one of the entities had been administratively closed sometime back,” Hinkle said, going on to say the city was satisfied with the explanation regarding the Georgia Commerce Club but still requires Ladd-Thomas to submit evidence that whichever entity employs him in the other jurisdiction has paid an occupation tax on him as an employee.
“To my knowledge, all metro cities and counties have an occupation tax ordinance and if (Ladd-Thomas) works in the area the furnishing of such information should not be a problem.”
Regarding the Twitter page, Hinkle said the matter came about last summer when a Grayson resident asked the city to look into a Twitter site that appeared to be the official site of Grayson from all looks and appearances.
“The main page was almost an exact duplicate of the first page of Grayson’s official Web site, right down to the pictures, city seal and the general overall look and feel of the page. The information presented was generally what was happening in and around Grayson,” Hinkle said. “The council members believed the Ladd-Thomas Twitter site was confusing similarly to the city’s Web site and would cause confusion as to who maintained the site.”
Hinkle said he called Ladd-Thomas and asked that he take down the site at which time Ladd-Thomas offered to give him the password and turn the Twitter site over to the city. The mayor said the council expressed no interested in the site at this point and the city has never received the password.
“As the campaign came around this matter was put on the back burner and the city does not wish to have a Twitter site at this time,” Hinkle said.
The matter came up again with the confusion over the back-to-back “Tours of Homes.” Hinkle said Ladd-Thomas “went out of his way to cause confusion by advertising the GCVB event as the “Grayson Tour of Homes,” and indicating it would be held on Dec. 6, the day following the official city tour of homes. Both Ladd-Thomas and Hinkle agree the Twitter matter has yet to be resolved. Ladd-Thomas said it should be noted the city attorney acknowledge he had not even seen the Twitter page when he penned the letter to Ladd-Thomas.
The two former political adversaries say there is no “back-and-forth” between them, “just passive aggressive harassment” in the case of the mayor, according to Ladd-Thomas. The mayor says he simply refuses to be drawn into a “silly Facebook battle,” something that characterized much of the political campaign during the mayoral election.
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