Cordele City Attorney speaks on former Commissioner Reeves’ suspension

CORDELE, Ga. – I’m standing right outside of the Cordele City Hall, where one of their City Commissioners, Royce Reeves, was just suspended due to pending charges. This news is coming off an Executive Order issued earlier this week by Governor Brian Kemp.

On November 12, 2024, former City Commissioner Royce Reeves was indicted on multiple charges, including three counts of violating the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, four counts of Illegal Use of a Communication Facility, six counts of violating the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act (STEP), and two counts of marijuana distribution.

In response to the indictment, Governor Brian Kemp appointed a review commission on January 23, 2025 to access whether the charges adversely affect Reeves’ ability to perform his official duties. The commission comprised of Attorney General Christopher Carr, Roddy McCord of the Griffin City Commission, and Chad Warbington, the Albany City Commissioner, as they were tasked with providing a recommendation within 14 days regarding Reeves’ potential suspension for office.

The review commission has since concluded that former Commissioner Reeves’ indictment directly impacts and undermines the effective administration of the Cordele City Commission.

“Now, if he were to be, if he violated the terms of his probation, then they would revoke it and he would be off, because he would be convicted of a felony, right, but that hadn’t happened. If he was acquitted or the charges were dropped, okay, then he would immediately be reinstated, okay. If, however, he was pled or he was convicted, he would be off like any other elected official,” said Cordele City Attorney Tommy Coleman.

City Commissioner Royce Reeves has a history of legal issues. In October 2023, he was charged with misdemeanor theft after removing city council campaign signs from various locations in Cordele.

Previously, in June 2021, Reeves was arrested for Felony Obstruction of Officer after he allegedly pushed a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) Trooper while attempting to access a fatal accident scene.

These incidents raise concerns about the potential impact on Cordele’s governance and public trust.

But… this poses the question…. What does this mean for Cordele?

“Well, they only have 5 members on their City Commission, right? So, it’s hard. If you were Albany, and you had 7, you could loose, or the absence would not be a difficult, kind of thing to fill. But, you know you’ve got to have a quorum. In their case, it’s 3 people,” said Attorney Coleman.

Reeves will be able to run for re-election in November, if he is not charged with these alleged crimes.

Gabe Hutton reporting.

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