Al Tillman’s Candidacy for Macon-Bibb Commission Challenged

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Macon City Council Member Henry Gibson is asking the Bibb County Board of Elections supervisor to disqualify Al Tillman from the race for County Commission District 9.

According to complaint, Gibson says that Tillman claimed a homestead exemption for a residence located within District 8, which would prohibit him from representing District 9.  It reads, “he has a financial, moral and ethical responsibility to represent those citizens he would represent in District 9 (Nine) if elected, but can’t effectively do so if he has those financial, moral and ethical obligations to himself, his wife and children in District 8 (Eight).”

The complaint is referring to a home on Robin Hood Road which according to the Bibb County Tax Assessor’s website has a homestead exemption, and lists Tillman as the owner.

Tillman says the home’s no longer in his name, and he no longer lives there.

In early June, he moved across the street into District 9 to the Heaton Place apartment complex.

As stated in the charter for the new government, the only residency requirements to run for commission are the candidate must live in the county for at least a year prior to running, and must reside in his or her district after being elected.

Gibson believes Tilman moved to get into the District 9 race, which only had one candidate, James Timley, before qualifying re-opened at the end of July.

Gibson says Tilman violated state law by qualifying under a different district, then the one where he claims a homestead exemption.

“If that’s true and it can be done, I guess then maybe I’ll have to go and ask a superior judge to hold things up and let me go rent me an apartment in another district so I won’t have to run against my friend Timley,” said Gibson.

Tillman said his move to District 9 had nothing to do with the election. He says he made it before the county was ordered to re-open qualifying.

“If Captain Gibson, who my wife and friends stand in line every weekend to get a taste of his delicious food, wants to play dirty politics, so be it. We’re a campaign of inclusion and we are asking everybody to be a part of it, and we’re not going to play dirty politics. We’re going to move forward,” said Tillman.

Tillman says he has the documentation to back up his current housing situation.

Elections Supervisor for the Bibb County Board of Elections, Jeanetta Watson, says the complaint has been given to Bibb County attorney, Virgil Adams, to handle.

Election Day is September 17th.  Advanced voting is set to begin August 26th.