M a r c h 9 , 2 0 2 3 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 1 8 , N o . 1 0
Mayfield area overlay plans taking shape By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
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In a lawsuit filed with the Fulton County Superior Court, Milton City Councilman Paul Moore seeks to reverse the findings of the Milton Ethics Board from last August, which cited him for three ethics violations. Moore also seeks reimbursement for attorney fees incurred during the panel’s investigation from Tony Palazzo, the Milton resident and White Columns Homeowners Association president who filed the ethics complaint.
Embattled Milton official sues for damages By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — Milton City Councilman Paul Moore, found guilty of three ethics violations last August, is suing the resident who filed the complaint. And the city, which has already shelled out thousands in legal expenses over the issue, has also been named in the case. The litigation began in November when Moore filed an appeal through a writ of certiorari to the Fulton County Superior Court requesting to reverse the ethics panel findings. The filing stated the three-member Milton Ethics Board ruled in error. Moore also seeks reimbursement
from Tony Palazzo, the defendant in the suit, for attorney fees spent during the panel investigation. The issue stems from a May 2, 2022, council meeting in which Moore voted to defer discussion on a matter to reimburse part of the costs for traffic calming devices installed by the White Columns Homeowners Association, a neighborhood in which Moore resides. Palazzo, the White Columns HOA president, filed the ethics complaint acting as a citizen of Milton shortly after. Palazzo’s complaint was the first ethics case advancing to an evidentiary hearing since Milton overhauled its ethics ordinance in 2010, creating an “attorney panel” system.
Moore’s hearing resulted in a decision that the councilman had violated city code relating to ethics for city officials and department directors, disclosure of interest and abstention to avoid conflicts of interest. Palazzo, himself, said he’s spent at least $30,000 in legal fees as a result of the appeals process. He said the case illustrates to Milton residents that they could be financially destroyed if they file an ethics complaint. “What occurred here sets a horrible precedent and will make sure residents and citizens never come forward again,” Palazzo said.
See DAMAGES, Page 20
MILTON, Ga. — The District at Mayfield, 22 parcels on nearly 18 acres in Crabapple, is moving closer to having its own vision – set in ink. The area has been the subject of public workshops the past few months to develop an overlay district that would further distinguish and preserve it. All elements of the overlay district, which includes properties off Broadwell Road, Charlotte Drive, Mayfield Road and Mid Broadwell Road, would fall under Crabapple form-based code. But the District at Mayfield will have more strict development regulations to conform to the area’s unique character. Amendments to the city code could mandate certain building aesthetics for the proposed District at Mayfield. To help the public understand the purpose of the overlay district, Milton Zoning Manager Robyn MacDonald provided an analogy at the first workshop. “If this becomes what we call an overlay district, it would almost be like having the icing on the cake, and the cake is the form-based code,” MacDonald said. “The overlay is the icing that goes over the cake. It doesn’t negate what’s underneath it — it works with it.”
See WORKSHOP, Page 7