Cindy J. Mills, a candidate for the District 4 seat on the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, admits she failed to disclose information on her personal financial disclosure report, but said it was an honest mistake and that the problem already has been corrected.
Cumming resident Julie Nurnberg filed the complaint with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission (see the PDF to the right of the complaint) which states, "Ms. Mills did not disclose that she is a founder and incorporator of Forsyth County Parks Foundation, Inc." and "did not disclose her fiduciary position as an officer of Forsyth County Parks Foundation, Inc."
Mills helped start the non-profit organization that was incorporated two years ago to help raise funds for county parks projects. She also is the foundation's chief financial officer.
She said she was not aware the foundation had been incorporated and as soon as she discovered it, she corrected the oversight on her financial disclosure report.
"Bill Mulrooney brought it to my attention on the Focus on Forsyth Facebook page and I immediately contacted the ethics commission and filed a correction," Mills said Saturday.
"It's my fault, I'm not going to make excuses, but as far as me trying to hide something, that is absolutely preposterous. Why would I try to hide the fact that I'm part of a nonprofit that is trying to do something wonderful for the county?"
Mills, is in a heated race against incumbent Patrick Bell and challengers Mulrooney, Charles Meagher and Tim Hubbard.
She said the complaint is just another example of gotcha politics and appears to have been filed by the supporter of another candidate.
Bell said he had no prior knowledge of the complaint and he provided a written statement to Cumming Patch, which read:
"It is an unfortunate situation but the law is very clear on what we have to report. There is no ambiguity or vagueness to the law or instructions printed right on the financial disclosures. As a public official, or a candidate, we have to be extremely transparent to the citizens - who are the ones to which we are accountable. While I can sympathize with Ms. Mills over her ethics violation, each of us must be personally responsible for our actions. It is up to us individually to insure we follow all laws and accept the consequences if we don’t. I think the citizens want, and deserve, personally responsible people in positions of leadership.
The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission will not pursue the complaint until after the July 31 election.
If you're interested in this story, here is another:
Ms. Mills should have been bragging about the non profit which helps underprivileged children enjoy our parks. Instead her opponent Mr. Bell has tried to smear her good name. I will add that Mr. Mulrooney pointed it out mater of fact and did not attack Ms. Mills in his post on Focus on Forsyth. Either candidate, Mills or Mulrooney, will be a breath of fresh air for the 4th district and a plus for Forsyth County in this writer's opinion. .Both are running very positive campaigns and should be commended for it.
The fact is Mills willfully ignored the transparency and ethics laws. Does the law care what the organization does? Uh, nope. Does the law care that it is a so called new corporation (even though this one is 2 years old)? Uh, nope. Does the law care that she was listed as CFO when she thought she was the treasurer? Uh, the answer again - nope. Does the law care abut her claim she did not know she had to list this on her disclosure? Bingo, Ghost Rider - NO is again the answer. She broke the law and hid the fact that she was on this park foundation. Could it be due to all that land she sold to the county??
Name all fiduciary positions held by the candidate for public office or the public officer at any time during the covered year.. (You may expand this section if necessary to include all positions.) A fiduciary position is any position imposing a duty to act primarily for another’s benefit as officer, director, manager, partner, guardian, or other designations of general responsibility of a business entity. A fiduciary position may be a paid or unpaid position. A business entity is any corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, professional corporation, enterprise, franchise, association, trust, joint venture, or other entity, whether profit or nonprofit. Pretty clear to this old redneck!
Wonder why Cindy has not provided how much this organization has took in and what they have spent and tell us how many kids have been helped? Is she hiding that too because Cindy Mills has been cornered in another lie.
Once again tell Patrick that he is badly kicking a dead horse with the land issue. No wrong doing was ever done with the Echols Rd property and he knows it. If you don't believe me, check Cindy's website and you will see Patrick in his own words support and vouch her details of the event. He only makes it an issue now because Cindy is about to put him back in the private sector for good and make him what he likes to call others......irrelevant.
Cindy Jones Mills is not the career politician with an ethics problem, that title properly belongs to Patrick Bell. And unlike Patrick's false attacks on Cindy; the facts actually stack up against him.
That bloated P&R budget is parks and recreation and Cindy served on the park board (for 11 or 12 years) that made the decisions about the park system. That's her bloated budget that has raised taxes. I appreciate you reminding me, and the other voters - Cindy supported raising our taxes with the $100 million bond debt, serving on the park board for over decade makes her responsible for that park budget AND Cindy made over $100,000 on land sold to the county as park of that park bond. How's it feel Hal, to defend another tax and spend liberal? It is like you have done in post 5 except here in post 4 you have really stepped it up by defending Cindy breaking the law. You are embarrassing yourself, the tea party and insulting the voters.
Let's not forget that I have asked Cindy to post the money the corporation took in, what they have spent the money on, how much was spent on helping poor kids and how many kids were helped. How much longer can she ignore those questions before everyone knows what I already know? Cindy was lying in her excuses to the paper about hiding her position with this corporation from the voters. To excuse it with all these lame reasons, and mudslinging against another candidate, does nothing but show the lack of accountability they have for their candidate and the lack of personal responsibility Cindy Mills offers.
I will say pot calling kettle black on the mud slinging. It seems you and Patrick and all of his supporters like to make snide remarks and sling mud that doesn't stick, but obviously can't take it once facts are dished back your way. Also funny that you seemed to totally disregard my comments about Patrick's ethics. Thank you for proving my point. Cindy is much more ethical and forthcoming about herself than Patrick ever could dream of. And it really seems you don't possess reading comprehension skills as I mentioned that Cindy's role in the Parks Foundation was proudly displayed on her website from the beginning. But you guys can't beat Cindy on the facts so you resort to telling more lies and untruths. So J.Redd, please tell us who you really are? No, nevermind, I have about two guesses and all I will say is the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Hal, J.Redd seems to be able to dish the mud, but can't answer legitimate questions about Patrick's ethics and spending ways. You and I both have asked him about it, but he dodges it like the plague.
I cannot support Cindy because of past dealings with her and the fact that she has not owned up to this issue where she violated the ethics law. Cindy Mills was a big supporter of the $100 million the park debt (with Tam and MacGruder) that raised my taxes, she was on the park board that oversaw the bloating of the park budget that has raised my taxes and the fact that she made over $100,000 from selling land to the county. Yes, she should post the revenue of that non-profit corporation right here for everyone to see. It has to be disclosed anyway (if she follows the law there) as it is not some private corporation. She should tell us what the organization took in, what it has spent, including what has been spent on helping poor kids and how many kids they have helped. I only ask this because one of her excuses was this organization helped the poor kids. I think she lied and want her to prove me wrong. If I am wrong I'll offer a full apology. She is the treasurer, it should be right at her fingertips. Ignoring it will not make it go away, she might as well answer, unless she knows it will prove she lied.
The form that is to be completed by the candidates is pretty clear in what you are supposed to list. Cindy chose, for whatever reason, to not list the Forsyth County Parks Foundation as an organization she held a position of responsibility. My guess is because she did not want to have to answer any more questions about the property she sold to the county. She acted as the agent and broker on the Echols Road tracts and the county report shows her as the agent on the Wallace Tatum property. Cindy's excuse on several blogs was she did not know. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. She then blasted the lady that filed the report saying the organization helped poor kids and that too, Chuck, is a lie. I have offered Cindy the opportunity on more than one occasion to prove me wrong. She has chosen to hide and send her attack dog instead of doing the right thing.
Ms. Mills has nothing to be ashamed of. She made a mistake and corrected it immediately when she found out about it. That is more than we can say about the present District 4 Commissioner. Now you can surely use the term "willfully" to describe his escapades in self enrichment.
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