Clayton News Daily

By Joel Hall

jhall@news-daily.com

The City of Riverdale has agreed to drop its pursuit of ethics charges against City Councilman Wayne Hall, if he pays the unauthorized debt placed on a city charge card in full by the end of the business day on Monday.

In an agreement between Hall and the city, Hall has been given until May 17 to pay the city $1,102.89 for scholastic books purchased using a city credit card. In March, an independent investigator found that the books, which Hall purchased in pursuit of a master's degree in public administration, were in violation of the city's ethics policy.

Riverdale City Attorney Deana Johnson said she drafted a letter on May 5, stating the terms of the agreement. She said the amount requested by the city includes the cost of books, plus interest from the time of the first book purchase.

"Mr. Hall formally offered to pay back the debt," Johnson said. "If the money isn't paid, they [the city council] will probably look into moving forward with the [ethics] hearing."

Hall's attorney, Keith Martin, said it is Hall's intention to agree with the terms.

"That is an offer that we hoped for," Martin said. "That is the solution that [special investigator Bruce] Edenfield recommended, and we said, then, that we were amicable about that. From my estimation, from the cost of the books, it is very minor interest. It is certainly not alarming [what the city is asking for.]"

Hall could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.