Aiken’s City Council often asks for civility from the public during meetings yet they don’t always lead by example, as evidenced by the March 27, 2023 video, below, where Mayor Osbon cuts off a citizen at three minutes but kindly grants extra time to a developer.
Nearly a year earlier this was the scene at the May 9, 2022 second reading of an ordinance that would give away an integral portion of Newberry Street to the City Attorney’s law partner, Ray Massey, who was the listed agent for RPM Development Partners, the “developer of choice” for the controversial, now-failed Project Pascalis.
As reported in The Pascalis Attorneys:
Conflict-of-interest issues were raised at least five times that evening. The earliest exchange, between Mayor Osbon and Aiken City landowner Drew Johnson, had passages not recorded in the official meeting minutes. Read part of this transcript, below.
Johnson: You can’t have a city attorney give millions of dollars to his—
Mayor Osbon, interrupting: The city attorney doesn’t vote to give any money.
Johnson replied: Well you and you guys all knew about that. Y ’all had to have known that they were business partners, which makes you guys look really bad. This is crazy.”
Mayor Osbon, interrupting: You can’t stand and libel the City Attorney.”
Johnson replied, referring to Gary Smith’s presence at the March 28, 2022 meeting: I mean, I’m just telling the facts he was at the meeting.
At no time did Mayor Osbon acknowledge State law and City policies guiding potential conflicts of interest, nor did he acknowledge that, while the City Attorney does not vote, he does prepare the ordinances that are up for a vote and provides legal counsel during the debate, which the City Attorney did on March 28.
The public would not be made aware until the August 2022 release of the article, The Pascalis Attorneys, that Drew Johnson’s concerns over this conflict of interest were not only well-justified, but were already known among Aiken officials. These same conflicts of interests would soon become the subjects of three lawsuits that contributed to the demise of Project Pascalis.
Yes, I would love to leave a comment —-
I can also tell you just how lucky we are to have citizens of Aiken that are so concerned and worried about our unique City — and, knowledgeable enough to take the time, do the research and take action to confront the Council with our many (and, I mean MANY) concerns regarding their decisions and how greatly they affect every single person in this town!
I have attended many of the City Council meetings and have addressed them personally with my concerns. In fact, the first meeting I attended was to address the Council regarding their decision on LuLu’s. I left that meeting very dismayed and so embarrassed by the way I was spoken to. Not only did the City Council approve it, (without doing their research), several Council Members scolded residents (me for one) for not knowing what the zoning was when they purchased their property — when in actuality, the Council Members did not do their jobs! Councilwoman Kay Brohl in particular was especially condescending to residents.
It would behoove the City Council Members to LISTEN to the residents (for which we are paying them to do). But, they approved this project before doing thorough research – and now we are paying the consequences for their mistakes. I also believe they owe our residents an apology for this. They should be very grateful and thank these particular citizens for doing the research, bringing it to their attention and working diligently to save our historic and unique city!
In the future and in the moment, let’s not just sit at the meetings and APPROVE everything (like it is a DONE DEAL before really listening to your citizens’ concerns and appeals). And, let’s also treat everyone that steps up to the podium in the future with DIGNITY!
AGAIN, thank you Kelly for all your hard work — and, we again thank everyone concerned who has taken their time and research to bring these important matters before our City Council. It’s time City Council be made accountable for the decisions that they make – and, maybe it’s time to vote for a new Mayor to be an example for the other council members. I support Teddy Milner for this needed change in leadership!
Jean Greenwald
Resident and Concerned Citizen
Come on, citizens of Aiken, we have good reason to expect much better governance that has been experienced during the counterproductive, confused and costly administration of the incumbent. An improved situation can be effected by the voters. However, to be a “voter,” a citizen must actually vote — in this case on Tuesday, August 22nd. Teddy Milner is a personification of the desperately-needed change.
Vote for Teddy!
Please Vote!
Osbon is a major part of Aiken’s tone deaf leadership. His rules, his priorities and his biases are the way the Council does business.
It is past time for Osbon to be voted out of office and put new and open leaders on the City Council.