Uninsured city vehicles, collapsed sewer lines, more concerns revealed at Edison Council meeting

EDISON — Decorum was left in the red dust of Edison’s country roads during its City Council meeting Monday night.

About 80 people squeezed into the old Lion’s Club at 7 p.m., craning their necks to hear Mayor Reeves Lane, Mayor Pro Tem Billy Timpson and council members Jane Ingram, Jack Johnson and Tamara Shedrick, as well as guest speakers address the room without a microphone or PA system.

Many of the attendees sat alert with their phones out, recording and livestreaming the meeting for those who could not attend.

Calhoun County Commissioner Conner Collins; Edison residents Marcia Killingsworth, Tia Ingram, Barbara Lee, Mary Shedrick, Troy Timpson and Shirley Worthy, and former fire chief Richard Worthy all filled out forms to be on the agenda and have a chance to voice concerns.

The agenda was released prior to the meeting, but it was missing two key things, Killingsworth, an Edison resident who consistently attends council meetings, said: a report on the city’s current financial status and an update on how the accounting firm — which was hired to get the city’s books audit ready — was progressing.

Edison was revealed to be $450,000 in debt by city attorney Tommy Coleman in July. It also failed to file a legally required city audit in the last five years, making it ineligible to receive state grants.

What was discussed, revealed a city in disorganization and without the funds to fix it. The meeting quickly erupted into raised voices, interruptions and pointed fingers.

Uninsured police and fire department vehicles, a collapsed sewer line along State Highway 37, volunteer firefighters paying for their own fuel, and property taxes higher than mortgage rates were just some of the concerns revealed by the mayor, public works director, fire chief and the public.

The attitude in the room was that of fed-up participants on both sides. The public, often shouting over speakers on the agenda, fired off questions of accountability to the mayor and council members. What happened to the money? What is the city doing to fix it? Why don’t they have answers for the public?

One member from the crowd questioned what would happen if a police officer got into an accident while on the way to answering a 911 call if the police cars lack insurance.

“We just hope that doesn’t happen,” Lane said.

Samantha Reed, an Edison resident who was vocal throughout the meeting, said she and her mother, who’s paying taxes on her home that sometimes exceed her mortgage payment, said the city’s situation is driving people out, especially young people.

“We are about ready to move out of Edison,” she said.

The mayor and council members did not have clear answers for many of the questions asked. In fact, Ingram said much of the council is in the dark about the city’s financial dealings.

“We don’t know where the money went,” she said, gesturing to the other council members. “We don’t write the checks.”

When she was elected in 2021, much of the mess was already going on, Ingram said.

“A lot of the things going on here in Edison, we council members don’t know anything about,” she said. “We are told at the last minute.”

Billy Timpson revealed some light at the end of the tunnel for Edison’s financial crisis.

“Our intention is to try to find out where our money is,” he said. “We are doing it step by step with the state.”

He confirmed that the city is working with the state’s Department of Audits to produce an audit at no cost as well as provide training on budget planning. Greg Griffin, the state auditor, will be conducting the city’s audits, Timpson said.

Work by the Driver & Adams accounting firm that was hired to sort the city’s books is still in progress. The mayor and council members did not have an update on their progress for its residents. Multiple residents shouted out that they should be asking for reports weekly.

For the collapsed sewer line, Public Works Director Michael Sinqefield said he and the former Public Works director, Walt Pierce, have been in communication with the Georgia Rural Water Association, a nonprofit organization representing rural areas throughout the state regarding drinking water and wastewater needs. The organization offered to fund the repairs and labor needed to repair the sewer line, Sinqefield said.

“We’ve got to fix it,” he said. “It’s flowing slow, but it’s not going to last.”

Demetric Jackson, the city’s new clerk, sat quietly for most of the meeting but listened and answered questions directed at her. Her position was finalized during the meeting.

“God bless her,” multiple attendees said.

Staff Photo: Lucille LanniganStaff Photo: Lucille Lannigan