March 27, 2025
South Fulton, Georgia Mayor’s Salary Garnished After City Council Says He Stiffed Small Business For Unauthorized Mural
Mayor Khalid Kamau's wages will be garnished after he failed to pay a local small business for an office mural.
South Fulton (Georgia) Mayor Kamau Khalid, who now goes by Mayor Kobi, is facing scrutiny over another unauthorized transaction.
This time the scandal-plagued politician, the city says, he stiffed a small business for a commissioned mural of a map of the world installed in his office. The city council will garnish the mayor’s wages to pay for it, WSB-TV reports.
Jose Jimenez, the owner of Alphagraphics, said he waited over 30 days for payment. The artist claims the $5,283.85 invoice remains unpaid.
“The office wanted the mural installed ahead of some event,” Jimenez said. “We work a lot with government agencies. We do the work. We get paid.”
After Jimenez filed a complaint with the South Fulton government, city officials moved to resolve the issue.
“Let me be clear, we are in the business of not harming small businesses,” Councilwoman Carmalitha Gumbs said, according to WSB-TV.
Gumbs also said that the deal was done “off a handshake” between the mayor and Alphagraphics, which is “not how we do business in local government.”
“This will be paid from the mayor’s budget and garnished from his wages,” City Cleark Corey Adams said on Tuesday night’s council meeting.
However, accessing those funds may not be straightforward. Kobi is currently under investigation for the misappropriation of city funds, which has frozen his budget and credit cards. As a result, the process of reimbursing Alphagraphics is slightly complicated.
Khalid, who has previously defended his spending as an effort to promote South Fulton, continues to face criticism for his financial management. His tenure as mayor has drawn national attention, particularly after a scandal involving a $26,000 city-funded trip to Ghana. The trip was first brought to light by a concerned citizen.
The ongoing financial issues add to his administration’s challenges. South Fulton officials have worked to maintain accountability, openly addressing concerns from residents and local businesses through open sessions and town halls.
Khalid declined to comment to WSB-TV regarding his latest financial mishap.
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