MILTON, Ga. — Since Milton began preparing for its first self-conducted municipal election, officials have been relatively silent on the scrutiny they have faced regarding their administration. That changed Wednesday night with an official statement drafted by Milton’s city attorney office.
City Councilman Paul Moore read the statement into record at a Milton City Council meeting Sept. 6. Before doing so, Moore described a number of “attacks” on the city by an “angry” blogger, the press and others.
“It’s been unfortunate that we don’t have an opportunity very often to correct the record, and we’ve been pretty quiet as a city in doing so,” Moore said. “What came to my attention recently is that there was another attack on the city by an attorney.”
The city’s statement was a response to allegations raised in a complaint filed to the State Elections Board by Bryan Sells, an Atlanta lawyer who specializes in voting rights, election law and redistricting.
“There is no merit to the suggestion that Milton’s process has been compromised, or anything other than front-facing, transparent, thoroughly vetted and legally compliant,” Moore read from the letter, then read again for emphasis.
Sells’ complaint is not the first notice filed to the state questioning Milton’s municipal election process. Another was a letter sent by Milton Families First, an independent expenditure committee which raises money to influence elections.
Sells levies state election code for his argument, alleging Milton didn’t have the authority to change the number and boundary of voting precincts. In an interview with Appen Media last month, Sells offered his own interpretation of Georgia law.
“Polling places in Fulton County can only be changed by the Fulton County Commission,” Sells said.
At the Wednesday meeting, Milton officially…
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