Blue Ridge Mayor Rhonda Haight, and her husband, David Haight, are threatening to sue the City of Blue Ridge and three council members if their four demands outlined in a Anti Litem Notice are not met within 30 days.
Through their attorney, Kurt R. Hilbert of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kauffman, LLC, of Alpharetta, the Haights delivered their demands that include the resignations of city council members Angie Arp, Jack Taylor and Bill Bivins. The notice was delivered Monday, April 22, and The News Observer obtained a copy late Monday afternoon.
The Haights; Rhonda in her official capacity as mayor and individually, David individually, and their companies, make numerous charges against the three council members.
They allege the three are working to remove Haight as mayor through an investigation and use of a section of the city charter that allows three council members to vote the mayor out of office. The Anti Litem Notice calls that section of the charter unconstitutional under Georgia law.
The Haights cite the Wojohn tapes as the basis for their belief Bivins, Arp and Taylor have discussed, “if not threatened,” the action to remove the mayor.
The notice accuses Arp of hindering the Searles Foundation project and harming both the Haights’ and Searles’ reputations.
It calls her actions spiteful to reduce the zoning cap (height limit) in the R3 zones to 30 feet.
The Haights allege Mayor Haight and Bivins, along with other unnamed council members, had an agreement to reduce the height from 45 to 35 feet, but Bivins changed his mind to spite the Haights.
Taylor is also accused of “spiteful zoning” intended to impair the relationship between the Searles Foundation, the Haights, and the Blue Ridge Housing Authority.
Allegations are also made against Arp in regard to a property purchase, and Taylor for parking his motorcycle at the police department, in regard to the bail bond business he previously owned, and his girfriend’s purchase of certain city property through sealed bid.
The Haights are demanding:
•Arp, Taylor and Bivins resign from the city council immediately;
•The three are enjoined (prohibited) from holding or seeking any public office for 20 consecutive years;
•The city strikes from its charter the section that allows for the mayor’s removal; and,
•The Haights be reimbursed $20,000 for legal fees and costs.
The notice threatens that legal fees and costs are based on current evidence and, “This amount may substantially increase if the matters are filed in court.”
The notice concludes that if the Haights’ attorney is not contacted in a timely manner the indication is the city and council members are not interested in resolving the dispute in good faith and the Haights can pursue all available legal avenues.
The Anti Litem Notice was not received by The News Observer until after 5 p.m. Mnday. When reached late Monday night by phone, Taylor, said he had been advised by his attorney not to comment on the matter.