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Vol. 142, No. 33 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, October 5, 2022 - $1.00
Authorities will review sheriff’s spending
BEN ROBERTS
benroberts@bellsouth.net
Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo
Williams could soon find himself
under an official investigation into
how he spent almost $250,000 of
grant funds intended for use for his
office (BCSO).
A second auditor’s review analyz
ing Williams’ spending and credit
card usage was given to the com
mission before last Wednesday’s
called meeting. There was no public
discussion of the report; but commis
sioners spent over an hour-and-a-half
in closed session discussing what
was described as two legal matters
and one personnel issue. Com
missioners took no vote or official
action at the close of the executive
session but released a statement the
following day that said, in part, they
had “turned this matter over to the
appropriate authorities.”
Asked to clarify just who those
authorities were, the commission
declined to elaborate. An email
response from the county admin
istrator’s office simply stated, “...
the Board has decided not to make
any further statements regarding the
matter at this time.”
Sheriff Williams also declined to
be interviewed for this story.
The “Executive Summary and
Findings” prepared by the account
ing firm of Lanier, Deal & Proctor is
a follow up to a similar report pre
pared back in July. That preliminary
report looked at Williams’ spend
ing through May 31, 2022. This
report covered additional expenses
through July 31. Williams turned
over a check for $217,914.16 to the
county’s finance director on July 14,
2022. At the time, Williams said that
was all that remained of the grant
funds. The previous report indicated
there were additional deposits made
in addition to the grant funds.
According to a summary of dis
bursements in the second report,
Williams spent $249,031 from Sep
tember 2021 to July 2022. A portion
of those expenditures included: legal
fees, $30,598; credit card payments,
$41,091; meals and entertainment,
$5,798; and donations to other or
ganizations ,$19,200.
Some of those expenses appear to
be legitimate. For example, Williams
purchased vehicles for
his department in the SEE
amount of $56,651. SPENDING,
Others, like the 7
Four-year-old Melaney and her doll named Seven are ready for the fun to begin. The
fair, located at the Waynesboro Exchange Fairgrounds runs October 4-8, opening daily
at 5:45 p.m., except the excitement begins at 3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $3 or $1 for
children under 36" tall.
TIME FOR ANSWERS
An Editorial
According to a statement last week from the Burke County Board of Com
missioners, the results of an investigation into the spending of sheriff’s office
(BCSO) funds by Sheriff Alfonzo Williams have been forwarded to another
agency for further investigation as to whether Williams has broken the law.
Commissioners made that decision after reviewing a second report by the
auditing firm of Lanier, Deal & Proctor.
That report, and the preceding one by the auditing firm, raised questions
about the way Williams spent almost $250,000 worth of grant funds given to
his department for the purpose of aiding law enforcement in Burke County.
Unfortunately for Burke County citizens, the report is short on answers.
For his part, Sheriff Williams has not been forthcoming in his responses to
the questions about his spending. Instead he has claimed he had sole discre
tion over how those monies were spent and that those expenses could not be
questioned because of his authority as sheriff of Burke County.
Some of the $249,031 appears to be legitimate purchases for the BCSO;
others, however, are questionable if not illegal.
Williams spent $30,598 on his own attorneys in his failed lawsuit against
the commission; $19,200 in donations to other organizations; and $5,798 in
checks written for meals and entertainment.
Williams spent $44,742 on improvements and the lease of a third office in
Waynesboro located on 6th Street, without notifying the commission.
Williams hasn’t produced a single receipt for over $41,091 in credit card
expenditures. Those charges include travel expenses that Williams has admit
ted were for his own personal travel to speaking engagements for which he
was compensated by another company. His justification is that he represents
the county wherever he goes and for whatever purpose. He needs to remember
that he was elected to be the county’s sheriff, not its ambassador.
On the surface, it appears Williams has used public money for his own
personal and financial benefit. There is no question that would be unethical.
Now another agency may determine if it was illegal as well.
The referral by the commission to some higher power comes six months
after they learned Williams had received $425,000 in grant funds from
groups connected to Plant Vogtle and the Waynesboro Housing Authority. In
years past, those funds had been funneled through the commission and into
the BCSO budget, per state law. But in late 2021, Williams deposited those
funds in a local bank and began using them for whatever purpose he chose.
The commission has done the right thing, even if it took them longer than
it should have. Burke County citizens have a right to know where and how
their money was spent and whether that spending was proper.
Williams’ constant battle with the commission over his department’s budget
and funding has cost taxpayers in the hundreds of thousands at this point and
affected much of the other work of the county.
It is well past time to move beyond this matter. An official investigation
could finally put these questions to rest. The commission and the sheriff have
other matters that need their attention. The Burke County public deserves
answers and the peace of mind to trust their elected officials.
Keysville code enforcer arrested for impersonation
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Keysville Code Enforcement Of
ficer Ronald O’Brien, 48, has been
arrested for impersonating a police
officer.
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office
received a complaint from a resident
that O’Brien used blue lights to pull
over her child after he drove his dirt
bike to the city park.
O’Brien was seen parked at the
park Saturday, October 1, in a
black Chevrolet Tahoe with “cau
tion K9” fixed on the side of the
vehicle. O’Brien left in the Tahoe
but returned in the city-issued Ford
Taurus. As the child was leaving the
park on his dirt bike, O’Brien began
to follow him and activated blue
lights, giving the impression he was
a certified police officer.
According to an incident report,
after the child pulled over, O’Brien
approached him wearing all camou
flage and stated, “Don’t ever try to
run from me again.”
O’Brien then commended the
child for wearing a helmet but
warned him not to drive his dirt bike
to the park ever again.
The mother of the child made a
complaint to the city council and
told deputies that the council advised
her it wasn’t the first complaint
the council had received regarding
O’Brien’s initiating traffic stops
using blue lights. However, Mayor
Linda Wilkes said nobody has made
any complaints at the City Hall and
the council never informed her of
any complaints.
“I am in shock, just like everybody
else,” Mayor Linda Wilkes said
Tuesday morning.
Wilkes said O’Brien, who has
been employed with the city for
approximately one year, was told
early on during a city council meet
ing that he was not a police officer
and was not to use lights to initiate
stops. The stop Saturday, October 1,
between the hours of 5-6 p.m., was
not during O’Brien’s scheduled work
hours, Wilkes said. O’Brien is also
the city’s maintenance supervisor.
However, his work schedule does not
include weekends unless he is called
in due to an emergency situation.
O’Brien’s employment has been a
subject of controversy since he was
hired. The True Citizen reported
in May that during the city council
meeting, Wilkes and the city council
had agreed the previous year to hire
someone to handle violations of
the city’s ordinance that disallows
buildings and properties to stand in
disrepair. However, the council was
caught off guard when Wilkes hired
O’Brien to fill the role of mainte
nance supervisor and code enforce
ment officer without notifying the
council members or residents.
O’Brien zealously began his job,
condemning five properties his
first two weeks and confronting
numerous property owners about
infractions. O’Brien said he pos
sessed 20 years of law enforcement
experience; however, he was vague
about his last place of employment
when asked.
“I worked for the U.S. govern
ment,” he told The True Citizen
numerous times.
The May 10 article pointed out that
Ronald O’Brien
the mayor and SEE
panel received IMPERSONATION,
complaints 7