Paulding Commission Sacks Law Firm After Airport Dispute

DALLAS, GA — The Paulding County Commission has cut ties with its longtime law firm after members learned the firm helped the commission's former chairman try to transfer land from the county to the committee that operates its airport.

The commission also voted last week to seek the resignation of its county clerk.

Commissioners told Fox 5 they were upset after learning that former Chairman David Austin signed a deed on December 30 — the day before he left office — granting 163 acres at the county airport to the airport authority.

The airport has been a source of controversy in Paulding County for years, with some officials wanting to make it large enough to handle commercial traffic and others pushing to keep it a small, local airport.

Attorneys with Talley, Richardson and Cable law firm prepared the deed that Austin signed and County Clerk Pat Tibbitts signed as a witness.

Vommissioners Todd Pownall and Vernon Collett spoke with Fox 5, both saying that they never voted on such a transfer and that Austin did not have the authority to make such a move on his own.

Current Chairman David Carmichael maintains that Austin had "full authority" to act as he did, saying that a 2014 agreement requires the county to hand over the land to the airport authority.

He said he disagrees with the entire board's action in severing ties with the law firm and asking for Tibbitts' resignation.

The board voted 4-1 Wednesday to stop using the law firm, which had represented the county for about 30 years. The firm also represents the airport authority.

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