Commissioners Choose United Community Bank

Without explanation Thursday, and against the recommendation of its purchasing staff, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners accepted United Community Bank's proposal to provide the county's banking services, even though it will cost already strapped taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars more each year than the competing proposal.

With Commissioners Todd Levent and Pete Amos absent, Chairman Brian Tam and Commissioner Patrick Bell voted to reject staff's recommendation to accept a proposal from SunTrust Bank.

During a brief recess at last night's meeting, Procurement Director Donna Kukarola estimated the decision would cost taxpayers an extra $30,000 to $50,000 each year.

In a difficult economy where officials are struggling to reduce spending, Commissioner Jim Boff, who cast the only vote in opposition, said he was puzzled by the decision.

"I have to say, I happen to believe staff made the right recommendation to go with SunTrust," Boff said. "Unless someone gives me a major reason, I remain confused as to why go with United Community Bank."

Boff was the only commissioner to vote against the move.

SunTrust representative Dan Farrar, who spoke during the public forum, asked commissioners to accept the recommendation of the purchasing staff. Farrar said SunTrust has been a good neighbor and an active member of many community organizations, including the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce and Lanier-Forsyth Rotary Club. SunTrust also has nine branch locations in Forsyth County compared to UCB's three.

In other business, commissioners approved amendments to the county's alcohol and controversial ethics ordinance. They also voted to keep the recreation center open on Sundays and Tam read a proclamation declaring the week of April 10-16 as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

Changes to the alcohol ordinance will allow nonprofit organizations to apply for 12 permits a year to sell alcohol off premises during special events.

Changes to the ethics ordinance were approved despite pleas from citizens to scrap them in their entirety.

Emily Crabb spoke eloquently, in asking commissioners to remove any amendments that "would penalize the people's constitutional right to petition their government."

Former Commissioner David Richard chided the board, saying, "If you don't want an ethics complaint filed against you, stop being unethical."

Former Forsyth County GOP Chairman Gray Smith pointed out that one commissioner (Chairman Brian Tam) had more than one ethics complaint lodged against him and observed that 2012 is an election year.

"Perhaps that is the problem," Smith said. "This is chipping away at the freedoms we have in this country."

While commissioners eliminated part of Section 8B of the ordinance that exposes witnesses to criminal prosecution if they commit perjury during an ethics hearing, they let stand another part of that section that would allow the county to collect "costs" and attorney's fees in the case of "frivolous, false or politically motivated" complaints.

Boff's motion to strike Section 8 in its entirety died for lack of a second.

The change to the alcohol ordinance permits nonprofit organizations like the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce to request 12 special event permits each year instead of five.