Carrie Nicholas- Welkis prepares to submit an application to recall school board member Dr. John Crooks, Post 6, with more than 100 signatures at the West Park Government Center in November. A hearing March 9 will determine whether to move forward with the recall effort.
The hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, March 4, in Cobb Superior Court before Rome Circuit Court Judge Walter Matthews.
Last July, Crooks called for a vote to allow a 150-foot cell tower at Eastvalley Elementary School, a proposal many parents and residents opposed as an unwanted eyesore. Crooks placed the cell tower matter on the board's agenda the day of the July meeting without advance advertising, saying he did so to avoid a "circus." Several families therefore filed suit against the school district, arguing that the board violated state Open Meetings law by failing to give proper advance notice on the vote.
Cobb Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order against the board, halting any work from being done on the tower, but then Crooks called for second vote on the tower in October. This time it was advertised on the agenda in advance, and the board approved the tower in a vote of 4-2-1.
Following that second vote, Eastvalley mom Carrie Nicholas-Welkis launched a campaign to recall Crooks from office, charging him with intent to mislead the public, lack of constituency engagement, violating the Georgia Open Meetings Act and conduct unbecoming of an elected official.
There are a number of steps to recalling an elected official. The first step is to obtain 100 signatures, submitting them to the Cobb Board of Elections. Nicholas-Welkis submitted 119 signatures. The next step is for a judge to determine whether the grounds for recall are sufficient. That is what is scheduled to occur next week.
"Bottom line, she has to make her case that her petition needs to move forward," Crooks said.
If the judge green lights the recall effort, Nicholas-Welkis must then obtain signatures from 30 percent of the active voters in Post 6, which she estimates being between 13,000 and 14,000.
Crooks said Monday while he didn't care to respond to her allegations, he will not seek re-election when his term expires at the end of the year. Retired Dodgen Middle School principal Jim Snell has announced he is running for Crooks' seat in the July 20 Republican primary.
Nicholas-Welkis said she was unaware that Crooks had decided against a re-election bid, but even so, "I don't feel warm and fuzzy about him staying in office until December. He hasn't represented us fairly. We don't believe he's complied with the policies, and we don't think he keeps his word."
The only way Crooks would satisfy her, she said, is to resign or be recalled.
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With $100,000,000 in budget cuts coming - East Cobb needs a warrior to defend its schools.
Please join me in calling for his resignation.
Nate Collins
Cobb County Resident
nate_collinsdirect@yahoo.com
I guess you also forgot about the comment Dr. Crooks made referring to the concerned Eastvalley citzens as being members of a "circus", or the numerous times Dr. Crooks pledged to the community to do his due diligence in assessing community support or opposition before voting on the tower.
No, instead he sneaked the cell tower item on the Board's agenda at the begining of the busiest board meeting of the year in order to "avoid a circus".
Now that's a real man of integrity.
Regarding the tower placement at Wheeler and Eastvalley: Wheeler has a two 129 foot towers on light posts set back at least 300 feet from the school. Eastvalley is getting a 150 foot cell tower setback approx 40 feet from the school, also in a tightly residential community. For more perspective, Wheeler's campus is at least 3-4x the size of Eastvalley's meager 7.2 acres (the second smallest Elementary school campus in the county).
And that tacky sign... it's on the property of the 90 year of lady, who John Crooks proclaimed, in reference to her opposition to the the cell tower, will "die soon anyway".
I noticed that you did not comment on anyone else’s pen name until someone posted who disagrees with you, but I’m happy you think it’s “cute!” And since you clearly still have your nose out-of-joint on this issue- for your information, I also live in the shadows of Eastvalley, have read the recall petition, have to drive by the tacky recall sign in the neighbor’s yard every day, and I stand by my comments and opinion on the issue and on Dr. Crooks. Also being a former public servant, I can tell you that the job is never easy, and there is always at least 2 sides to every issue. So, since you are passionate about issues, I would encourage you to run for office and see what it’s like to be on the hot seat. Inevitably, you will have to deal with an unpopular issue and make a decision that you believe to be in the long term best interests of all your constituents, regardless of the personal consequences (if you are a person of integrity). I understand your point about the process, but I cannot fault Dr. Crooks for relying on the advice of counsel. Judge Stoddard’s restraining order means that he is in disagreement with the Board’s counsel and while corrective action can be taken for future episodes, it had nothing to do with the ultimate outcome, which is completely legal. My question to you is, if you are this opposed to the cell tower at Eastvalley, and since Eastvalley is a feeder school to East Cobb M. H. and Wheeler H. S., will you send your children there, since they will be there for 7 years under the Wheeler cell tower?
His comments portraying his constituents as a "circus" and trying to improperly avoid public discussion of an issue also say much for his "caliber". Changing your opinion when additional information is presented is not wrong, failing to present your reasons for changing it and insulting the concerned parties was his mistake.