Photo by Cameron Healy
“Mayor, council members, unfortunately, I have to report to you that we did not receive the payments from Mr. O’Hara,” Gulfport City Attorney Andrew Salzman said at the May 6 Gulfport Council meeting.
The Road So Far
On Oct. 1, 2024, The Gabber Newspaper reported on then-Ward IV City Council member Ian O’Hara’s misuse of the City’s credit card. O’Hara reportedly spent $6,976.21 on non-city-related goods, including food and drink, taxis, laundry, and alcohol. He resigned in November of last year, and agreed to a repayment plan with the City.
Salzman said he was under the impression that neither Council nor the council that sat before them would accept any excuse for missed payments at the reduced amount that O’Hara had agreed to pay.
“Payments were supposed to be made; they were only $200,” Salzman said.
Ian O’Hara’s missed payments are not all that happened at the May 6 Gulfport Council meeting. Read about what we overheard, resolutions and appointments, the Beach Beacon, and a new smoking ban.
What To Do, What Do To
The city attorney offered two options for recourse. First, because the money owed totals less than $8,000, he could take the matter to small claims court on behalf of the City. If small claims court goes to a hearing and the defendant cannot pay, the court would issue the City a judgement that would entitle it to collect on any assets or garnish any wages he has.
“Small claims court is relatively inexpensive,” Salzman said.
“It seems like garnishment of wages seems feasible,” Ward III Council member Cosi Jackson said.
“Should he get a job,” Salzman added.
Former Council Member Ian O’Hara’s Missed Payments for May 6
In the other option Salzman proposed, he would see if the state attorney would have any interest in pursuing O’Hara’s case as a criminal matter, and let the state handle the matter. He said if the state attorney is willing to pursue the case, part of that process would include repayment.
“I’m not very persuaded as to how successful we’ll be in that [small claims court],” Ward II Council member Marlene Shaw said. “I don’t want to get into his personal circumstances in a public forum.”
Ward I Council member April Thanos had no such reservations.
“I know he’s renting a fairly expensive house,” she said.
Mayor Karen Love advocated for the second option.
“I feel so strongly that we never got the apology that we deserve, and in addition to not getting the apology we got arrogance, arrogance, arrogance and I think that’s criminal,” Mayor Karen Love said.
Council voted unanimously to have the city attorney bring the case to the state attorney, and to pursue O’Hara in small claims court if the state attorney rejects the case.
The Gabber Newspaper? We Go There
In 1968, our founder, George Brann, started The Gabber Newspaper, then called the Gulfport Gabber, to hold Gulfport City Council accountable. Read more of our city council coverage, and learn about our policies on reporting, fact-checking, and funding.
