The board of the Atlanta Public Library was slated to meet Dec. 14 to consider an agreement to lease part of the library's Union Hall to library board member Bill Thomas, which is illegal according to the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act, a posting on the Edgar County Watchdogs website said.
The act reads in part, “No person holding any office … may be in any manner financially interested in…any contract … of which such officer 'may' be called upon to act or vote,” the posting said.
This prohibits Thomas from entering into a financial contract involving anything which he may need to vote on in the future and also prohibits Thomas from using the contract to influence his vote on upcoming matters, the posting said.
The area of the building that would be leased includes an upstairs office space, first floor reception desk and all common areas within the two buildings which make up Union Hall.
Thomas is not the only person to show interest in the buildings, but the others have beeny ignored by the library board, the posting said.
If convicted of violating the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act, Thomas would be removed from office and charged with a Class 4 felony, the posting said.
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