TALLULAH FALLS, Ga. — The Tallulah Falls Town Council took no action following a nearly 90-minute executive session Thursday night, opting instead to table any matters discussed behind closed doors as public comments turned to allegations previously examined in an audit of the town’s police department.
When the council returned to open session, Mayor Mike Early said any votes stemming from executive session would be tabled and declined to comment on the matters discussed.
The lengthy closed-door meeting came weeks after the release of an attorney-led audit of the police department that found no evidence of payroll misuse by Police Chief Tonya Elrod and recommended several policy and procedural changes for the town.
Public comments revisit audit allegations
During public comments, Shane Keyros, who operates the YouTube channel North Georgia Audit and describes himself as an independent journalist, addressed the council regarding allegations involving Elrod and criticized the audit’s findings and methodology.
Keyros claimed he possessed information he said was either not included in the audit or was incorrectly addressed during the investigation. He raised questions about vehicle use, security work performed during a Tallulah Gorge whitewater release event, and allegations he said warranted further review by the council.
He also criticized the town’s decision to use an attorney-led audit rather than an outside law enforcement agency or independent investigator.
“The audit was a farce,” Keyros told the council.
Throughout his remarks, Keyros made several allegations involving Elrod and town operations. The council allowed him to speak at length but did not respond to his claims during the meeting.
No evidence supporting the allegations raised during public comment was presented to the council Thursday night, and no action was taken following the discussion.
The audit released last month found no evidence that Elrod improperly received compensation from the town. The investigation concluded there was no substantiation for allegations that she engaged in payroll fraud or misuse of town funds.
Elrod responds
Following the meeting, Elrod sat down with Now Georgia to discuss the audit findings and respond to the criticism raised during public comments.
Asked about her reaction when the audit cleared her of wrongdoing, Elrod said she was not surprised by the outcome.
“I knew that I haven’t done anything wrong here,” she said.
When asked what she thinks when individuals publicly accuse her of misconduct, Elrod said she focuses on maintaining her faith.
“I mean, I guess if people are going to do that, all I have to do is just pray for them,” she said.
Elrod also addressed the broader controversy surrounding the department and her message to residents.
“My statement is, I love my job in law enforcement,” she said. “We’re never going to make everybody happy, unfortunately, but my main concern is to take care of the people in the town, take care of the kids, take care of the people that want to come here and enjoy our place, and just try everybody to get along.”
No public explanation
Neither Early nor members of the council offered any public explanation regarding the executive session discussion or why potential action was tabled.
The meeting concluded without further comment from council members on the audit, the allegations raised during public comments or any personnel matters that may have been discussed in executive session.
The council’s decision leaves unanswered questions about what, if any, additional steps town leaders may take following the audit’s recommendations.
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