CLARKSTON, Ga. — Clarkston City Council is meeting Thursday night to discuss an increase in police officer pay.
It's an age-old conversation in the City of Clarkston as the embattled city government has struggled to address the issue while its police force continues to dwindle. Conversations have been derailed as more controversies have come to light, including disagreements between the city manager and police chief.
Recent meetings have residents describing the leadership as a dysfunctional 'dumpster fire.' Some people are bracing for much of the same Thursday evening.
While the only business up for discussion on Clarkston’s City Council agenda is a measure seeking to increase compensation for police officers, attorney Ed Buckley, who represents Clarkston Police Chief Christine Hudson, believes more might be discussed.
Hudson has been advocating for higher salaries for her officers.
"The department is shrinking, and it’s shrinking to the point where it’s really not – in my mind at least – safe," said Buckley, who is an attorney with Buckley Bala Wilson Mew. "It’s not enough officers to cover the territory and to cover all the shifts that need to be covered. It’s a public safety issue. They need to handle that right away."
The agenda also shows an executive session is planned.
Buckley believes city councilmembers could discuss other matters, including Hudson’s equal employment opportunity complaint claiming mistreatment by City Manager Shawanna Qawiy.
“I don’t think that in the face of her EOC charges, it would be wise for them to take any action against her," Buckley added. "I don’t really think there are grounds for that. The law protects her when she has complained under these circumstances so I don’t think they should let her go.”
After Hudson filed the complaint, she was demoted, and Qawiy hired John Pearson as the Director of Police Services.
“Unless city council votes to create this position, I don’t think that hire was authorized. So they have to decide that," Buckley said.
The city has not disclosed any information about his salary.
11Alive filed an open records request for details about the salary on July 20 – more than nine business days ago – but the request has yet to be fulfilled.
“(Qawiy) created this new position, made a promise to pay Mr. Pearson something – we don’t know what. If that’s part of the department’s budget, then it would be subtracting in my mind from any pay increases that the ranking filed officers might receive," Buckley said.
Buckley adds that it’s likely they discuss whether the city will retain Qawiy as city manager.
Former councilwoman Susan Hood, who was against retaining Qawiy, resigned during a city town hall last week.
Thursday's meeting is set for 7 p.m. at Clarkston City Hall.
For 11Alive's previous coverage on the issues with Clarkston and its police force, see below: