LONG COUNTY, Ga. () — A Long County commissioner is under scrutiny after a GBI investigation and several arrests, all while the county faces deep budget cuts. 

It’s been months since Long County Commissioner Robert Parker was arrested for alleged theft of government money.

Tuesday, his fellow commissioners brought a motion to petition the governor to suspend him, but for now, it seems their hands are tied.

Parker was arrested in February and has not been to the last several commission meetings according to those present.

This time, while Parker’s seat sat empty again, in a meeting that was standing room only the remaining commissioners got answers on the public record about his fate. 

A County Attorney Representative said that the motion to have the governor remove Parker from his position would legally have no effect at this point. Once someone is indicted, then the governor could move to remove the individual. 

In the meantime, voters do have the power to vote out Parker with a recall vote. Many attendees said they’d be interested in a recall vote, especially since he is still being paid for the job of commissioner. 

Parker’s potential removal was only one of over 20 items on the agenda. Another item people came out for was the county manager’s most recent financial report. 

When asked about recent cuts to county jobs and services, the commissioners who spoke to said the decisions were hard to make but ultimately, because of the dire financial situation, the county has no choice.