Incumbent Lowndes County District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks wants one of his opponents thrown off the August 4 Democratic primary ballot.
Brooks, who is seeking his ninth term on the Board of Supervisors, has filed a complaint with the Lowndes County Democratic Executive Committee that alleges one of his challengers, Columbus Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner, doesn’t actually live where he says he does. The executive committee will allow both candidates to present their cases at 5:30 p.m. today in the courthouse boardroom.
Turner’s legal address is 1504 23rd St. N. in Columbus — which falls in the boundaries of District 5. But Brooks claims Turner actually lives with his girlfriend in District 4 and therefore should not be certified to run in District 5.
“It’s just a matter of fact that he doesn’t ‘live’ at (his legal address),” Brooks said. “I have observed him. I have followed him. I know where he stays.
“This is a matter of principle,” he added. “He has to be held accountable for his actions and he has to follow the rules like everyone else.”
Turner, when contacted by The Dispatch on Monday, dismissed the allegation, saying his girlfriend actually lives with him at his legal residence.
Further, he provided The Dispatch photocopies of a voter registration card issued to him for that address in September 2009, as well as a deed for that property in his name filed in chancery court in June 2009. Turner said he would present those to the party’s executive committee today.
“This is ridiculous. I just want a fair election,” Turner said. “I’ve been staying in that house for five years. I was born and raised there, and when I moved back to Columbus (in 2009) I moved back into that house. I’ve never heard of anybody being able to move you out of your own house just by saying you don’t live there.”
Turner said even if he did live elsewhere temporarily, he doesn’t believe that would invalidate his legal address.
“Even if I did have a girlfriend in District 4, I could stay where I want to stay,” Turner said. “If I was in the military and deployed overseas, or I worked offshore for part of the year, my legal address would still be my legal address.”
DEC Chairperson Cindy Lawrence said the committee prioritizes a potential candidate’s “domicile” — or place he or she lives and sleeps daily — over a legal address.
She said the committee had already received enough information to call Turner’s “domicile” into question, and Turner actually carried the burden at today’s hearing to prove he lived in District 5. Lawrence told The Dispatch she did not want to discuss that evidence prior to today’s hearing.
She expects the committee will rule today on whether to certify Turner’s candidacy.
By law, Brooks said the DEC can field up to 36 members. Brooks, himself, serves on the committee but is taking a mandatory leave of absence during his re-election campaign.
Several of the committees members, including Lawrence, have also assisted Brooks with community projects, including projects his now-defunct nonprofit African-American Cultural Organization spearheaded.
“None of these people are strangers to me,” Brooks said. “At least half of the people on this committee have worked with me on projects over the years. … That has nothing to do with this (issue).”
Brooks said he would accept whatever ruling the DEC levees. If the committee lets Turner stay on the ballot, Brooks said he is ready to “get the campaign on.”
Former West Lowndes High School boys’ basketball coach Ricky Hill Sr. is also running as a Democrat against Brooks in the District 5 supervisor race.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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