By LeiLani Golden - bio | email
COLQUITT, GA (WALB) - A city councilman in the town of Colquitt is charged with illegal alcohol sales. Algin Merritt is accused of selling alcohol at a club he owns without a liquor license.
City councilman Algin Merritt faces six alcohol-related charges after authorities found he was selling liquor without a license at this establishment in Colquitt.
"We knew he owned it," says Colquitt resident Nancy Phillips. "And we heard about kids going down there and getting in trouble."
Some people in Colquitt say the club Merritt owned, the Fun House, has been the source of many wild parties. Parties they say have led to shots fired in the air and even violence.
"You know what happens in a small town," explains Phillips. "Just takes a while for the law to do anything, I think."
Corey Thomas, Colquitt's city manager, says the city council has not taken action against Merritt at this time, a decision some don't like.
"If a city councilman sells alcohol that's illegal and they turn around and want to arrest someone for the same thing, I think that's a little outrageous," said another concerned resident, Alberta Spencer.
But others say it isn't surprising to hear that a person in a position of power would break the law.
"It's not out of the ordinary because in every city you find somebody that's doing something illegal," Ruth Ann Hicks explains.
Still, the charges have some people losing faith in their elected officials.
"It's a shame that in this small town, someone that you trust would do something that you wouldn't see happening," said Phillips.
Which she says is enough to make anyone think twice before giving out their vote in the next election.
During a city council meeting last night, members formed a new ethics committee to handle this case and any similar cases in the future.
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