College Park City Council · March 2, 2026
27 findings
Financial Scandal · 3:26:06

Gay: 'Don't Be Scared of Money, Man'

“It ain't illegal to make your friends rich. It ain't against the law, believe it or not, to make your friends rich.”

— Council Member Roderick Gay

Council member compared city spending to Atlanta Botanical Garden's $100M project

Meeting Briefing

What started as routine business devolved into chaos when Mayor Motley Broom invoked Robert's Rules to strip everything from the consent agenda — a power play that Council Member Carn called 'defeating the purpose.' City Manager Hicks then admitted spending $2,995 on a funeral service without council approval, sparking a heated debate about the gratuities clause. Meanwhile, residents lined up to blast officials for negative media coverage, procurement violations, and the endless parade of fired staff. Council Member Gay delivered a rambling defense of making friends rich, while Mayor Motley Broom apologized for posting incomplete information about another council member's spending. The meeting ended with accusations flying and an executive session to discuss litigation — because of course it did.

All Findings
Financial Scandal

City Manager Admits $3K Funeral Spending Violation

“We have a staff member that their son died and didn't have enough money for the burial. So, at the city manager discretion, I helped that staff member pay for the son's burial.”

Hicks confessed to spending $2,995 on employee's funeral service without council approval

2:09:58
Financial Scandal

Entire Consent Agenda Nuked Over Power Play

“If anybody can arbitrarily remove everything or anything or everything they want off the consent agenda, then we defeat the purpose of having a consent agenda.”

Mayor invoked Robert's Rules to strip consent agenda; Carn called it 'defeating the purpose'

0:11:32
Financial Scandal

Gay: 'It Ain't Illegal to Make Friends Rich'

“It ain't illegal to make your friends rich. It ain't against the law, believe it or not, to make your friends rich. If you do business with your friends, you just did business...”

Council member delivered bizarre defense of favoritism during rambling final comments

3:27:08
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Walker Blasts Three City Managers Gone in 16 Months

“In the last 16 to 20 months, three city managers gone. 15 key employees and department leaders gone. Police chief gone. procurement manager gone and the procurement manager's...”

Resident cited 'patterns of turnover' and warned about procurement violations

0:46:46
Financial Scandal

Mayor Forces Spending Restrictions on Herself Only

“The city manager can spend up to $10,000 without approval, but the mayor the mayor must now seek council approval to spend any amount, $5, $10, even 75.”

Guidelines require council approval for mayor spending but not city manager

1:27:27
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Taylor: 'I'm Tired of Negative Media Press'

“I'm very tired of the negative media press that we're getting and it's all seemed to be convoluted. It also seemed to be orchestrated. Um what we have here uh is something that...”

Resident blasted council for orchestrated corruption allegations and demanded names

0:55:07
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Grady Already Paid $11K Before Council Vote

“This man's already been paid $10,987.50. How did that happen? Who approved that? Because this body didn't.”

Engineering contractor received $10,987 before council ever approved the contract

1:44:18
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Warrior Calls for 'Thorough and Transparent Review'

“I am formally requesting that that there be a thorough and transparent internal review of what is currently taking place so that the concerns can be addressed properly and...”

Business owner demanded internal review of decision-making and leadership alignment

1:01:33
Public Comment

Multiple Residents Demand Airbnb Crackdown

Willis, Hutchinson, and others cited party houses disrupting neighborhoods

0:53:01
Power Plays & Dysfunction

City Attorney Warns Against Gratuities Violations

“However, if something is a gratuitity, it could be a million dollars or one red cent. A gratuitity is a gratuitity is a gratuitity. We can't give away a penny of public money...”

Denmark said even a penny violates gratuities clause, questioned bereavement fund

2:17:51
Power Plays & Dysfunction

McKenzie: Stop Making Examples of Good Hearts

“And what disturbs me is when good hearts and good motives are made to look like demons and people who are just up to no good and corrupt.”

Council member defended funeral spending as good motives made to look demonic

2:33:01
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Mayor Apologizes for Incomplete Information

“I want to apologize, Council Member K, for uh, sharing information that was incomplete. Um, none of us are perfect. Um, I I got the information through an open records request...”

Motley Broom publicly apologized to Carn over erroneous Home Depot posting

3:29:11
Public Comment

TPD Fund Transfer Approved Without Balance Check

Council moved $1.2 million in tourist funds with no discussion of available balance

1:29:33
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Carn Demands Project Oversight After Cost Overruns

“understand last year we had a cost overrun well into the six figures that quite frankly I wasn't aware of until until our new finance person uh got into a a position there and...”

Council member cited six-figure cost overrun he wasn't aware of

1:33:17
Public Comment

Johnny Williams Keeps Pressing for Sanitation Raises

Longtime resident returned again demanding raises for hardworking sanitation workers

0:44:44
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Arnold Blasts Citizens for Letting City Get 'Dragged'

“Yet, we allow individuals to come and disparage our city, talk about it, go to the news, tell lies, and don't correct it. And if we are that concerned that some of these...”

Council member said residents must stop letting people 'talk bad about our city'

3:09:53
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Gay Reveals $1.5M Project Stalled by Closing Delay

“the Bill Evans field was supposed to have closed in November and that was $1.5 million and we took our community I'm talking about war for now. We took our community...”

Council member explained Ward 4 enhancement money parked due to Bill Evans field closing delay

3:23:29
Public Comment

Grace McFillips Demands Bathroom Access Fix

Single mother couldn't access Barrett Park bathrooms despite $118 code system

1:07:01
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Carn Gets Finance Error Reimbursement Explained

“Yes, this is the issue with the $1,34.9 some odd, the money was paid back. It was paid back um by council member KN a total of $1,35. So, it did get paid back to the city.”

Finance director confirmed $1,349 overpayment was repaid after city error

3:06:13
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Executive Session Called for Litigation Issues

“Is there a motion to enter into executive session for the purposes of litigation”

Council voted to enter executive session to discuss litigation matters

3:30:12
Public Comment

Youth Council Gets $20K DC Trip Approved

Travel funding passed unanimously with no discussion of trip details

2:02:35
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Gay Demands Vape Shop Regulations Near Churches

“I asked a a merchant. I don't want to get ethnic, but I asked a merchant. I said, 'Do would you do that to your daughter?' He came from behind the counter with a stick. He was...”

Council member wants legislation preventing vape shops from operating near churches

3:24:00
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Arnold Demands Better Employee Salaries

“We have to do better about our staff's salaries. It is not fair that our staff members are working two and three jobs just to make their ends meet to live in the city of...”

Council member said staff working multiple jobs to afford living in College Park

3:18:45
Public Comment

McKenzie Wins State Recognition Award

Council member honored by Secretary of State with outstanding Georgia citizen award

2:45:39
Power Plays & Dysfunction

Mayor Notes Unprecedented Restrictions on Office

“tonight this council voted to impose restrictions on the mayor's office that no other person who's ever sat in this chair has ever faced. Um, and and restrictions that no other...”

Motley Broom said spending guidelines create rules no previous mayor faced

2:39:51
Public Comment

Strategic Planning Retreat Gets $30K Budget

Department head retreat approved unanimously with suggestion to include succession planning

1:56:50