« Kenerly should resign immediately »

Indicted Gwinnett District 4 Commissioner Kevin Kenerly turned himself into the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department yesterday and indicated he would not resign his seat on the county commission.  Kenerly was indicted by a grand jury this week on "a felony count of bribery, alleging that he had accepted $1 million from a developer," as well as "two misdemeanor counts of failing to disclose a financial interest in two properties the county rezoned in 2001 and 2005."

As Kenerly left the jail, he said he would not resign and was not worried about Gov. Sonnny Perdue suspending him.  Kenerly's attorney Walt Britt said, “There are plenty of people found not guilty when they're indicted by grand jury ... Grand juries indict people everyday ... People go to trial in front of juries."

To be sure, Kenerly has not been convicted of anything.  He, as does any American, deserves his day in court and a fair trial. The government must prove the allegations they have made against him.  He is truly innocent until proven guilty.  However, the trust that the people place in their elected official has been destroyed, and for this reason alone, Kenerly should resign immediately.

The charges against Kenerly go directly to his duties as a commissioner.  They are not some unrelated accusation that, while possibly impairing a general sense of trust, do not directly flow from the job he does for the community on the commission.  The charges raise serious and legitimate doubts as to whether Kenerly can be trusted to serve the people rather than himself in his duties.  Though he may be completely innocent of these charges, any actions he takes in the remaining two months of his term will be tainted and will require close scrutiny by citizens and other commissioners.  A true sense of service to the community requires resignation from the board.  Kenerly's refusal to do so exhibits a high degree of arrogance and a self-servedness that makes one consider the veracity of the indictment all the more likely.

Commissioner Kenerly, if you truly are a public servant, do the public a favor and resign from your seat and remove the cloud that hangs over their government.  Former Commission Chairman Charles Bannister showed dignity when he resigned for far less.  Take his lead and allow Gwinnett to move on.