HOSCHTON, Ga. (AP) – The mayor of a mostly white north Georgia city is being criticized for comments attributed to her that the community isn’t ready to have an African American city administrator, a newspaper reported Monday.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that interviews and documents it obtained show that Hoschton Mayor Theresa Kenerly expressed concerns regarding a black finalist for the job, Keith Henry.
Councilwoman Hope Weeks wrote that the mayor told her that Henry was a good candidate “but he was black and we don’t have a big black population and she just didn’t think Hoschton was ready for that.” Weeks wrote that account in a document dated March 4, released by the city in response to the newspaper’s open records request.
The mayor said in a statement that she doesn’t recall making such a comment.
“I do not recall making the statement attributed to me regarding any applicant for the City Administrator position, and I deny that I made any statement that suggest (sic) prejudice,” she said.