WSAV-TV

Mayor Van Johnson, Alderwoman Kesha Gibson-Carter clash at latest city council meeting

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — An argument between Mayor Van Johnson and city Alderwoman Kesha-Gibson Carter during Thursday’s city council meeting is gaining some attention.

It all started during a discussion about the approval of nearly $40,000 towards a vehicle for the office of City Manager Jay Melder.

That’s when Post-1 At-Large Alderwoman Gibson-Carter spoke out in disapproval of the purchase.

Here’s how a portion of that conversation went:

Gibson-Carter: “Melder, will this vehicle, will your car stipend go away as a result of this vehicle?”

Melder: “No ma’am, this is not a personal vehicle. This is a vehicle for the office, and the reason this explorer will be used is as an emergency management issue, if we ever have an emergency management issue that needs my attention.”

Gibson-Carter: “…so this will be a setup similar to what the mayor has. He has a car and a driver and a car stipend, and all of this on the back of the taxpayers.”

All: “Point of order.”

Gibson-Carter: “Somebody called point of order, so what’s your point?”

Johnson: “It’s not relevant…”

Gibson-Carter: “You can’t do anything about me, I’m sorry.”

Johnson: “Opposed. Motion passes.”

Gibson-Carter: “City attorney, do you want to weigh in on this and not tell them what they want to hear.”

Johnson: “The point is, I’ve ruled, Mr. Attorney, the point is that this in inappropriate, it’s not relevant.”

Gibson-Carter: “I’m asking for the clerk that we pay…”

Johnson: “I run this meeting.”

Gibson-Carter: “No you do not.”

Johnson: “I run this meeting.”

We reached out to the mayor for comment regarding the situation, he said – Gibson-Carter approached him twice after the city council meeting.

He thanked the rest of the council for acting respectfully, but said what happened during Thursday’s meeting was not a singular occurrence.

District 6 Alderman Kurtis Purtee said he actually had to get between the two to de-escalate the disagreement following the council meeting.

“It’s a pattern of behavior that’s still continuing, it’s not stopping,” Purtee said. “My concern is that it’s going to become so disruptive that we will not be able to accomplish city business. It’s already a hostile work environment for city staff that are in the council chambers when all of this is happening. It’s also a hostile work environment for other city council members that are up there.”

We reached out the Gibson-Carter for comment. She says that Alderman Purtee never had to get in-between her and Mayor Johnson.

She says of all the things going on in Savannah, like the increasing crime rates, the need for affordable housing and wasteful spending by the city, this is not an important issue.

The alderwoman was previously censured by city council and was removed from her position as chair of council in January.

The very next day, she told WSAV she plans on running for mayor of Savannah in the 2024 election.