Wednesday, June 19, 2013

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Bronwood residents spar over rights
Posted: 04.03.2012 at 10:15 AM
Updated: 04.03.2012 at 3:30 PM
Jessica Fairley

Jessica Fairley is a reporter with FOX 31 News

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Tensions fly high in the Bronwood City Council meeting.  / Jessica Fairley
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BRONWOOD, GA. --
Some residents in Bronwood, Georgia are in a sparring match with the city council.

Topics ranging from property rights to equipment issues came up in Monday night’s meeting, but the issue of how locals document the meetings gained the most attention.

Debby Sapp, a resident of the city, says the Bronwood City Council is infringing on her rights to video tape public meetings. She says after coming to a meeting on March 5th with her phone and laptop to record the assembly, the mayor told her to stop recording.

“When I told them that the attorney general said I could, the mayor replied I don't care whoever. I'm telling you not to record,” says Debby Sapp.

This began a war between Sapp and the council but city officials say she's leaving out part of the story.

“We had the council meeting that night and she recorded it and put it on YouTube and she thought that she could come in and record people voting and she can't do that,” says Bronwood Mayor Reuben Hawkin.

Hawkin says it's not a problem for people to record public meetings but videotaping voting sessions is not allowed. He says some people who attend the meetings also have issues with the recordings because they have their children with them and they don't want them to be placed on the web without their consent.

“A lady spoke out and said that she didn't want her child on there because that's her right for her child not be put on their and be put on YouTube,” says Hawkin.

Sapps says she's not trying to infringe on anyone's rights, she's only trying to do what she believes is right.

“It's really important that not only national government but local government be held accountable to the rules of the law,” says Sapp.

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