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Larry Stanford

Editor

The Upson County Board of Commissioners released a press release Friday concerning the Consent Order regarding the release of information to the City of Thomaston:

To: The citizens of Upson County, Thomaston and Yatesville:

With the taxpayers of the city and county in mind, the Board of Commissioners feels compelled to respond to the City of Thomaston’s press release to clarify a few things with all citizens about this frivolous and needless lawsuit. We want to clarify that a “consent order” is not a judgment, it is where both parties agree to resolve their issues without going before a Judge and the Judge signs off on the agreement. To state that the Judge ordered us or sanctioned us in an incorrect statement. What is correct is that the Board of Commissioners decided to act in the best interest of the city taxpayers by giving back some of the thousands of dollars they have paid for the requested records, which should never have been paid out in the first place.

We want to assure this community that we have tried to provide the City of Thomaston with the records they have asked for, but when you refuse to come and share with us what exactly it is you want and a council member offers to come to get the records and you refuse, then we think that speaks for itself. We will not allow anyone or any government to stop the county from providing services that the citizens deserve and expect. These requests are what the city said it needed to have in order to do a study, yet the county did a study without asking the city government for one document. The Board of Commissioners encourages all citizens to not be fooled by smoke screens and to come to the Town Hall meeting October 18, 2012 at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center Gymnasium to be educated about this process.