Forsyth County Commissioner says emails show a 'betrayal of public trust'

ATLANTA - A tiny, wastewater treatment plant in Forsyth County is at the center of what some are calling dirty politics.

Forsyth County Commissioner Jim Boff says he is furious about emails he recently discovered that claim Cumming Mayor Ford Gravitt promised city services to a group of homeowners if they would help get Boff out of office.

“The worst part is the influence of a government on another government,” says Boff.

Boff was elected county commissioner in Forsyth County eight years ago in part on the pledge to get the city of Cumming to take over an aged, privately run treatment plant known as Habersham Sewer Plant. 

Since 2006, the Habersham Action Committee - volunteer homeowners in a nearby neighborhood -  have run this sewer plant. Those volunteers desperately wanted the city of Cumming, which controls waste treatment in this area, to buy it. Boff says the city of Cumming should “absolutely” take over the treatment plant.

   Recently, Boff says he discovered two emails that raised questions in his mind. One written by the Cumming City utility director, telling Habersham homeowners  Mayor Ford Gravitt "guaranteed" him the city would take over the treatment plant if "Boff doesn't run for office again"

“I jokingly said, hey, maybe Mr. Boff will get beat and we'll have someone to work with,” says Mayor Gravitt. “I said it in a joking manner, but hey it would work if he wasn't in there.”

In a second email, a treatment plant volunteer, wrote  that Boff's political opponent told him that Mayor Gravitt promised homeowners "will not receive a city sewer until Jim Boff is not a commissioner."

“This is not fair, it's not honest, it's not open,” says Boff.

Boff says after seeing the emails and talking with Habersham homeowners he decided not to seek reelection.  

He calls the promise of city services in exchange for the ouster of an elected official to be a “betrayal of public trust.”   

Mayor Gravitt responds: “These elected officials, they can't stand a little heat, don't need to be representing the people of Forsyth County.”