Ivey City Council Launches Investigation into Mayor

IVEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Ivey’s mayor is under fire as residents call the city’s spending habits, hiring procedures and meeting policies into question.

At Monday’s council meeting, several residents confronted Mayor Ann Evans; accusing her of misusing funds and holding secret meetings.

“I think it’s coming to a head now,” said Robert Rollins, a concerned citizen, “there’s been talk for a longtime, there’s been a lot of people who have issues, but I think it’s just come to a boiling point with many folks that live in Ivey.”

Things started heating up in Ivey in June, shortly after the firing of the city’s water superintendent Kenneth Helms. Helms was fired for stealing city funds and some people are calling it a cover up.

“They need to somehow fix it,” said Kevin Sturgeon, a concerned citizen and former city council member, “it just looks like there’s a lot of cover up from even our water superintendent to SPLOST (Special Local Options Sales Tax) checks being written.”

At Sturgeon’s request, council member Judy Veal motioned to launch an open investigation into the mayor. The motion passed and now the review is underway.

The council now has 10 days to hold a hearing to further discuss their findings. At the request of the city attorney, Evans would not comment on the investigation. A hearing date has not been set.

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