Gordon mayor sues city, city’s former insurer

Gordon Mayor Mary Ann Whipple-Lue has filed a lawsuit against the city she governs and the city’s former insurance carrier.

Whipple-Lue hired an attorney last year to help her fight a lawsuit filed by two city councilmen and members of the Concerned Citizens of Gordon group who sought to have her removed from office.

The suit against Whipple-Lue alleged she violated the state’s Open Meetings Act and participated in other misconduct.

That case remains pending in Wilkinson County Superior Court.

The Gordon City Council voted last month on whether to pay Whipple-Lue’s lawyer’s nearly $95,000 invoice. With the council members who sued the mayor sitting out the vote, the group decided not to pay the bill, according to the suit Whipple-Lue filed last week in Fulton County State Court.

The mayor contends the city is responsible for the bill and that the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency, the city’s insurer, breached its contract by not providing her with a lawyer.

The insurance carrier chose not to renew Gordon’s policy last year.

A letter notifying the city of its non-renewal cited “apparent dysfunction among the elected officials ... which has created conditions that increase risk of loss to the city beyond acceptable levels.”

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398.

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Gordon mayor sues city, city’s former insurer ."