Dear Editor: 

Would that I had the wherewithal to abstain from the following comment, but I am not strong enough to stifle my thoughts and reaction. On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, the Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to object to the annexation by the city of Covington of land on Alcovy Road wherein the petitioner is seeking to change the zoning from AR to Heavy Industrial. 

That thrusts the matter into the realm of the Department of Community Affairs which will arbitrate the matter between the city and the county. This may require some number of months to resolve, and thus the county will be paying legal fees in the interim in order to have adequate legal representation. 

Commissioners Alana Sanders and J.C. Henderson objected based on the open-ended amount of legal fees that will be required to adjudicate the matter. Apparently, they would prefer to approve the city’s petition for annexation, but three other commissioners believe the questions involved are worth the investment.

Then comes word that a settlement has been reached between the Board of Commissioners and attorneys for former County Manager Lloyd Kerr and former County Attorney Megan Martin who charged the board with reverse discrimination — and they won. Those found at fault are Commissioners Sanders, Henderson and Demond Mason.

Concerns voiced by Sanders and Henderson about the legal fees that will be incurred to pursue objection to the city annexation petition pale in comparison to the $1.075 million the county now owes to the dismissed employees, Lloyd Kerr and Megan Martin. These two speak out of both sides of their mouths.

Barbara Morgan

Covington