The state's senior assistant

Attorney General has sided with Tyrone's Ronnie Cannon in his claim the

Fayette County Commission violated the state's Open Meetings Act.

Cannon had contacted the Attorney

General's office earlier this year after he discovered the County Commission

had voted on several real estate and legal matters in closed session.

Cannon, along with Tyrone Town

Attorney Brad Sears asked the state's top legal official for an opinion

on the issue.

In a letter dated Oct.3, senior

assistant Attorney General Kathryn Allen said she understood that the

Georgia Municipal Association, the Fayette County Attorney and the Fayette

Solicitor disagreed with the position that votes must take place in open

session.

"This office continues

to believe that votes on matters that may be discussed in executive session

should be held in the open portion of the meeting, except where there

is a specific statutory exception for the votes," Allen wrote.

She pointed out the exception

is specific for personnel items, but "the absence of a specific provision

in the real estate or attorney advice exception does not mean that those

votes must be held in secret."

County attorney Bill McNally

could not be reached for comment on Allen's interpretation of the law.

Cannon discovered the violations

when he started looking for the meeting where the county decided to sue

Tyrone over its sewerage contract with Fairburn.

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