Columbus NAACP, IMA Urge Mayor Skip Henderson to Call For Investigation Into Anker Appointment

Staff Report

The Columbus Branch of the NAACP and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance are urging Mayor Skip Henderson to support an investigation into the appointment of John Anker to the Columbus City Council, citing concerns over transparency and potential violations of Georgia’s Open Meetings Act.

“No elected official is above accountability,” said Melvin Tanner Jr., president of the Columbus NAACP. “If laws designed to protect the public’s right to open government have been disregarded, it is the mayor’s responsibility to act and uphold the trust of the people.”

The organizations will hold a press conference at 4 p.m. on Monday, March 24 at the C.E. "Red" McDaniel City Service Center, located at 3111 Citizens Way, to outline their next steps.

The controversy stems from the recent nomination, appointment and swearing-in of Anker to replace outgoing District 9 Councilor Judy Thomas, who resigned because of health reasons. The NAACP contends that the process lacked public transparency and may have involved discussions among council members that violated state laws requiring open government proceedings.

Georgia’s Open Meetings Act mandates that council meetings be open to the public, properly publicized and conducted in a manner that allows for public scrutiny. If a quorum of council members met—whether in person, by text, or by email—to discuss city business without proper notice, the organization argues, they may have breached the law.

The NAACP is calling on Mayor Henderson to request that the Georgia Attorney General immediately launch an investigation into the appointment process. The group emphasized that government transparency is critical to maintaining public trust and ensuring that Columbus officials adhere to ethical and legal standards.

“The citizens of Columbus deserve a government that operates with integrity, free from secrecy or misinformation,” said the NAACP in a prepared statement.

The mayor’s office has not yet responded to the call for an investigation.