Fort Valley city council censures mayor amid allegations of misrepresentation, false statements

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The Fort Valley City Council has formally censured Mayor Shakeena Reeves and imposed strict restrictions on Reeves’ authority following allegations of misrepresentation and false statements.

Council members voted on Aug. 13, during their monthly committee meeting, to limit Reeves’ authority by suspending her city-issued credit cards and fuel cards. Later, on Tuesday, Aug. 18, the council approved an amendment to the resolution that imposed even stricter restrictions during their monthly work session.

Under the amended resolution, Mayor Reeves will be required to surrender her work-issued laptop and turn over her keys to all non-public city buildings in Fort Valley. She will only be able to use a city-issued computer while physically in her office at City Hall.

The original resolution from Aug. 13 revoked the mayor’s issued city credit cards. Going forward, the city council has agreed that any city-related purchases must be pre-approved by the city administrator, LeMario Brown.

The council’s decision to censure Mayor Reeves stems from two main allegations. The first allegation, according to the council’s resolution, alleges that Mayor Reeves made statements to media and governmental bodies claiming that former city employees engaged in criminal misconduct. The council states these claims contradict recent findings from the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.

The second allegation from the council alleges that Mayor Reeves misrepresented her authority to financial institutions in order to approve financial transactions without proper City Council oversight.

In a letter sent to The Leader Tribune by Mayor Reeves, she wished to provide context to the two allegations against her in the council’s resolution.

“The resolution states that I made statements to the media and governmental bodies alleging criminal activity by former city employees. As Mayor, I have not made such a statement. The resolution does not identify a date, time, media outlet or specific statement in which I allegedly made such a claim,” Reeves said. “What I have said publicly is that I did not believe certain expenditures represented a wise use of taxpayer dollars. I stand by that statement. I also advocated for stronger policies and internal controls to help prevent similar concerns in the future. When questions arise about taxpayer dollars, I believe our response should be simple: strengthen the process, improve oversight and protect the public’s money.”

In the letter, Reeves further states that the allegation of misrepresenting her authority to financial institutions was concerning her challenging a resolution that she states was not properly authorized.

“The second action concerns my communication with a financial institution regarding the authority of city officials to approve financial transactions. A $2,500 check was then issued for soliciting bids for a street sweeper. I placed a note on the purchase order stating that I was waiting for guidance from the City Attorney regarding whether the expense could be paid from SPLOST funds or the General Fund. Because I was waiting for that guidance, neither I nor the Finance Chair signed the check,” Reeves wrote. “The check was later presented to the bank. The bank flagged it, and the Finance Director approved the positive-pay transaction to allow the check to proceed. I challenged the resolution presented to the bank because, based on my recollection, it did not reflect the vote taken by Council. My concern was not about preventing the City from paying a legitimate expense. My concern was about making sure the transaction was properly authorized, properly classified and consistent with the City’s financial controls.”

The council’s resolution explicitly states that the censure does not “constitute a finding of misconduct, does not limit the mayor’s constitutional or charter authority, and does not prejudge the outcome of any future investigations or legal proceedings.”

These restrictions will remain in effect until the city council votes to either modify or rescind them.