By John Fredericks / STAFF

Bernard Wolff, candidate for Milton city council District 1, could be in violation of a city ordinance he may be sworn to uphold if he is elected on November 3.

Wolff, running against incumbent Councilwoman Karen Thurman and backed by Milton council members Julie Zahner-Bailey, Alan Tart and Tina D’Aversa, has at least two active businesses registered with the Georgia Secretary of State. County documents list these as for profit corporations under the names: Carbon Credit Producers, Inc. and Wolff Investments, L.P. Both have Wolff listed as the company’s registered agent and show his home address- 1000 Lackey Road, Milton, Ga. - as their official business address.

Neither has a valid business license filed with the city.  Milton law requires all businesses that operate in the city to have a business license, including home-based ones.

When asked if Wolff’s failure to abide by Milton statutes governing business licenses was a legitimate campaign issue, Thurman said, “Yes, in my mind it is, because if you are operating a for-profit business in Milton you have to obtain a business license.“

Thurman maintained that failure to do is like thumbing your nose at the city.   

She added, however, that voters would ultimately determine how important an issue for Wolff it is.

Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood, a Thurman supporter, wasn’t so eager to jump on Wolff for his non-compliance status, however.  “It’s not like he is operating a retail store, and he simply may not have been aware that he needs to get a license for each of his businesses,” said Lockwood. “From what I can gather he basically takes business mail at his house and talks on the phone.”

Lockwood admitted that city’s code enforcers don’t typically search for home-based businesses operating without a license. “If we happen to stumble onto one we act accordingly, but its not like we pro-actively pursue it,” Lockwood said. “Much of this is on the honor system,” he explained.

Lockwood said a bigger campaign problem for Wolff was the fact that he has sold a large chunk of his land to Chatham Properties, a developer, while campaigning against development. “This contradiction in action VS. campaign jargon needs to be reconciled with voters.” Lockwood said.

Wolff said he was not aware of the violations and would resolve it immediately if he was not in compliance.

FAMILY DISPUTES DISTRACT CANDIDATE

Another matter distracting Wolff in the middle of his maiden campaign for public office involves a series of internal family disputes he is embroiled in. Wolff’s brother, Dr. John Wolff, has initiated several lawsuits against his brother claiming Bernard Wolff violated various stipulations of the family trust, and is, among other things, behind on his rent payments for the home he lives in, which court records show is owned by the Trust.

Dr. Wolff has filed a petition with the Fulton County probate court to have his brother removed as the family’s Executor/ Trustee.

In an email obtained by The Beacon to his brother, Bernard Wolff threatened to initiate a counter lawsuit for libel and defamation of character. The candidate also claimed that the timing of the petition filing was politically motivated by his sibling to exert added pressure on him to cave in to his demands during the election cycle.