MWA board member Desmond Brown vacates seat to run for chair. What we know.

Macon Water Authority District 2 Board Member Desmond Brown has resigned from his seat to run for chair of the authority.

Brown has served on the MWA board since 2020. While on the board, he faced allegations of ethics violations, including a 2021 investigation shortly after he was elected into accusations that he defrauded elderly women through his business.

He faced allegations of conflicts of interest with his position on the water board due to his business interests.

MWA conducted an internal investigation with former Macon District Attorney David Cooke. The investigation stopped when Brown resigned from his seat to run for MWA chair, a race he lost. The investigation never resumed when he was re-elected as District 2 board member following the failed bid for MWA chair.

The Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections said the election to pick a new chair is scheduled for May 19. The current chairman, Gary Bechtel, is running for re-election.

The board of elections also authorized an election to replace Brown as District 2’s board member during its Tuesday meeting. That election will also take place on May 19, the board of elections said. Voters will also decide on new board members for districts 1 and 4 that day.