The Week in Business
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Former city officials plead not guilty to federal charges
Larry Wallace, the city of Atlanta's former No. 2 man and a longtime friend of Mayor Bill Campbell, pleaded not guilty Dec. 18 to charges that he illegally took $43,000 from a telecommunications company that wanted to do business with the city.
Wallace was indicted Dec. 13 by a federal grand jury on corruption charges.
Wallace, who was the city's chief operating officer until he retired in February, is free on a $100,000 bond. He is allowed to travel within the state but surrendered his passport to federal prosecutors.
Herbert McCall, the city's former deputy chief operating officer, pleaded not guilty to charges that he made two false statements to a federal grand jury, which interviewed him about the ongoing federal investigation into City Hall on Aug. 22.
McCall also is free on bond. No trial date has been set for either defendant.
Dorothy Rollins and Vertis McManus, two officers of Spectronics Corp., a local telecommunications company, also pleaded not guilty to charges they illegally gave money to Wallace and to another city official, Joseph Reid.
Reid pleaded guilty Dec. 11 to charges that he participated in a conspiracy to accept corrupt payments from Spectronics, federal officials said. He is cooperating in the investigation.
Rollins is free on $100,000 bond. McManus, because of prior convictions, agreed to pay $50,000 cash within 48 hours as part of his bond agreement with the government.
Franklin to replace Police Chief Harvard
Mayor-elect Shirley Franklin said Dec. 18 she's seeking a new police chief, city attorney, chief financial officer and chief operating officer for the city of Atlanta.
More department heads could be changed as she continues to evaluate positions, she said in a press conference with her transition team.
Kasim Reed, co-chair of Franklin's transition team, said they want the positions filled within 90 days of Franklin's taking office.
She will be sworn in Jan. 7.
Sam Pettway, a partner at search firm Spencer Stuart, will conduct the national search for a new city police chief.
Franklin said she met with current Chief Beverly Harvard for about an hour this week to discuss the transition. Franklin said she expects Harvard could put herself in the running to keep her job.
Other search firms will conduct the searches for the other positions Franklin is looking to fill or replace. Heidrick & Struggles Inc. partner Veronica Biggins, who was Franklin's campaign treasurer and recruited personnel for the Clinton administration, will coordinate the search for a new chief operating officer. Kathleen Maloney of Ray & Berndtson Inc. will find a new chief financial officer. Current Chief Financial Officer David Corbin resigned Dec. 5. His last day is Jan. 4.
Seth Kirschenbaum and the Atlanta Bar Association will help Franklin replace Susan Pease Langford, the current city attorney.
BellSouth Corp. to cut 1,200 jobs in early 2002
BellSouth Corp. will cut 1,200 nonmanagement network operations jobs in the first quarter of 2002.
The Atlanta-based telecommunications giant said the reduction covers most job titles within the network organization throughout the company's nine-state region.
"The reductions we are announcing are tied to an economy that has slowed significantly over the course of the past year and to a resulting drop-off in the volume of demand work we have been experiencing," said Rod Odom, executive vice president of BellSouth Network Services.
BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) will offer a voluntary separation package to affected employees and hopes to achieve most of the reduction on a voluntary basis.
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