Aberdeen Alderwoman accuses mayor and fellow Alderman of serving illegally

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – Aberdeen Ward 2 Alderwoman Lady Garth is suing the city, claiming the mayor and one of her fellow Alderman are holding their seats illegally.

“It’s all a nasty conspiracy,” she says. “They feel as if they can circumvent the law.”

Alderwoman Garth says her accusations are against Mayor Charles Scott, City Attorney Robert Faulks and Ward 1 Alderman Robert Devaull.

“I’m calling for his resignation, I am calling for Charles Scott’s resignation and I’m calling for Robert Faulks, the city attorney’s, resignation,” she says.

“Ms. Garth has been on the same tirade since I’ve been in this seat,” Mayor Scott says. “To the point that it’s been embarrassing.”

“She seems to think that I have moved from my residence at 100 Evergreen (Road), which I have not,” Alderman Devaull says. “I still live at 100 Evergreen.”

Alderwoman Garth is accusing Alderman Devaull of no longer living in the ward he represents, which would require him to vacate his seat, per the City Charter (Miss. Code 21-3-9).

“Once that election was over, he moved into that house directly right next door to my brother,” Alderwoman Garth says. “They can shake hands if they like. Everybody in the city knew.”

Alderman Devaull showed WCBI copies of his voter registration and his electric bills from Evergreen Road, which is inside Ward 1 and not at the vacation home that he built on 20786 Egypt Road farther out in the county.

“My voter registration is at (100 Evergreen Road), that’s where I live and where I’ve spent the last 40 years, primarily,” Alderman Duvall says, adding that his wife and daughter also live there.

Alderman Devaull says the reason he is in the area so often is that he owns three properties along Egypt Road, including this one where he runs a lawn care service.

Devaull says the board voted 3-2 to not investigate the matter further during their meeting on June 21, 2022.

“We followed the protocols of verifying documents and also verifying the rules of locale that include a person owning more than one home.”

Alderwoman Garth also brought up the fact that city attorney Faulks assisted Devaull with the paperwork on the Egypt road property.

“Robert Faulks, if you go to the chancery court and pull the records, did the paperwork for Robert Devaull on the house that he is presently living in,” she says.

However, neither Faulks nor Duval worked for the city at that time.

“It’s unfortunate that everybody is supposed to be broke in this situation,” Mayor Scott says. “Everyone’s supposed to be not doing the right thing in this situation, except for her.”

Alderwoman Garth alleges that Mayor Scott did not establish a two-year residency in Aberdeen before his election.

“Even at this present date, he has not met the two-year residency that you would have to meet,” she says.

“If I hadn’t established residency, I wouldn’t be here now,” the mayor says. “I’ve met the requirements necessary to be elected. I met the requirements necessary to run for mayor.”

Alderman Devaull claims that Alderwoman Garth is using these attacks to gain more control over the board.

“She talks racism against her own people. No matter the color, she doesn’t care. If you don’t agree with her, side with her, that’s what she does,” he says. “It’s just like this false complaint that she’s put against me about not living where I live…it’s all just to attack me to try to get me out of this board seat.”

It was in 2017 that Garth’s son Cloyd Garth Jr. had to vacate his seat on the board of Alderman after the Attorney General’s opinion after he was hired as an interim superintendent of education in south Mississippi.