Embattled Milton official sues for damages

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Milton City Councilman Paul Moore, found guilty of three ethics violations last August, is suing the resident who filed the complaint.

And the city, which has already shelled out thousands in legal expenses over the issue, has also been named in the case.

The litigation began in November when Moore filed an appeal through a writ of certiorari to the Fulton County Superior Court requesting to reverse the ethics panel findings. The filing stated the threemember Milton Ethics Board ruled in error. Moore also seeks reimbursement from Tony Palazzo, the defendant in the suit, for attorney fees spent during the panel investigation.

The issue stems from a May 2, 2022, council meeting in which Moore voted to defer discussion on a matter to reimburse part of the costs for traffic calming devices installed by the White Columns Homeowners Association, a neighborhood in which Moore resides.

Palazzo, the White Columns HOA president, filed the ethics complaint acting as a citizen of Milton shortly after.

Palazzo’s complaint was the first ethics case advancing to an evidentiary hearing since Milton overhauled its ethics ordinance in 2010, creating an “attorney panel” system.

Moore’s hearing resulted in a decision that the councilman had violated city code relating to ethics for city officials and department directors, disclosure of interest and abstention to avoid conflicts of interest.

Palazzo, himself, said he’s spent at least $30,000 in legal fees as a result of the appeals process. He said the case illustrates to Milton residents that they could be financially destroyed if they file an ethics complaint.

“What occurred here sets a horrible precedent and will make sure residents and citizens never come forward again,” Palazzo said.

In 2020, the median household income for the City of Milton was $127,487, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Lawsuit costs city

Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison said the lawsuit is a civil matter between two parties, and the City of Milton takes no position on it.

The Milton Ethics Board and Milton City Council are named as respondents, acting more as bystanders to provide records. But according to city code, Milton could be on the hook for $5,000 of those fees.

The city has already spent its fair share on the proceedings. Milton City Attorney Ken Jarrard said his firm has billed the city more than $14,100 from the time Palazzo filed the ethics complaint in May, and $6,440 of that was spent in the appeals process alone.

The ethics panel recommended to the City Council that Moore receive a written censure or reprimand outlining the ethics violations he committed and that they be publicly announced at one of its regular

Pickleball:

Continued from Page 5 creating family-friendly environments, but he wants to prioritize an all-ages pickleball club that’s “welcoming to all players.” That welcome extends to costs, too.

“For the price of one trip to Pickle and Social, that’s monthly access (to Ace Pickleball Club),” Diederich said.

The Roswell location will be open play-oriented, and members will have priority access. For a monthly fee, members can come in at any time to hop into a game. There will also be member-focused events and tournaments.

“Everything revolves around the game itself, and activating more people to the sport, whether you’re playing for fun or socializing or training to get on tour,” Diederich said.

The co-founder picked Roswell meetings and included in the official minutes. In October, Jamison announced Moore had been already “sufficiently sanctioned.” In January, Jameson swore in Moore as the mayor pro tempore.

“That decision was extraordinarily disappointing,” Palazzo said. “Basically, what [the City Council is] saying is … ‘These violations and following the ordinances and ethics in Milton just don’t matter.’”

In a December filing, the Milton ethics panel reinforced its ruling, and requested the court to dismiss Moore’s suit, the relief requested be denied, and all costs cast against Moore.

A hearing is scheduled for May 12 to consider a motion by Palazzo’s attorney Josh Belifante to dismiss the lawsuit, alleging Moore did not file legal action within the state’s required time period. The case will be closed if the motion is granted, unless Moore appeals the order to the Georgia Court of Appeals within 30 days of the Superior Court ruling.

Conflict of interest

Palazzo filed the ethics complaint against Moore for participating in the May 2 vote.

“This wasn’t some pleasant process I wanted to be involved in, but I felt strongly it was the right thing to do,” Palazzo said in an interview at the time.

The agreement concerned the HOA’s purchase and installation of radar feedback signs, with city staff approval, for a total cost of $13,706. It wasn’t until See DAMAGES, Page 20 after he moved his search out of Florida. He said the establishment could work in most markets, but Roswell “blew him away.” The location is close to Atlanta’s HartsfieldJackson Airport, a perk for future business travel, and Diederich was drawn to the area’s growing film industry.

As the Ace Pickleball Club franchise headquarters, the location will be the site of future advancements, like livestreaming, instant replay and instant highlight reels.

“The Roswell players are going to be on the cutting edge,” Diederich said.

While the club will likely not open until late May, Diederich said interested players should join the waitlist now. The club has a cap on memberships to provide adequate playing time for everyone.

“We have the leg up to figure out what this can look like, what the model can look like,” Diederich said.