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 County Councilman cuts power to mother of three during winter weather advisories over $30 dispute web posted January 24, 2008 BETTIS ACADEMY – A single mother of three said Edgefield County Councilman Willie Bright turned off her power last Saturday night as temperatures plunged below freezing bringing the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Deputies and an Investigator to the scene. In the end Councilman Bright’s actions, she claimed, forced her and her three small children out of the home they have been in only three and a half weeks. “I had his money,” Tameria Mathis said, “But when I told him I wanted the power repairs made,” Mr. Bright is said to have begun, “showing out a little bit.” It was then, Ms. Mathis said, Mr. Bright came to the home and she and her fiancé got into a verbal dispute with him and Mr. Bright cut off the power. That is when police were called, she said. Ms. Mathis said she signed the lease just prior to the first of December but did not move into the mobile home until mid December waiting on the Christmas School holiday to make the family move. Councilman Bright said he did in fact cut the power to the home because he had not received payment for a power bill that the home incurred during the month of December. “She done got that money from the government and spent it,” Mr. Bright said. “I want to point out that she got a check on Thursday to pay her utilities. I don’t know what she spent it on (suggesting nefarious expenditures) but she never gave it to me.” The agreement of the lease was that Ms. Mathis would obtain power in her name. Mr. Bright said since the young mother of three was receiving government subsidies for living expenses he agreed to leave the power on in his name until it could be changed over. The cost of the power bill in question was thirty dollars Ms. Mathis said. According to police reports, Mr. Bright had already cut electrical service to the home when the first deputies arrived. Sheriff’s Chief Investigator Randy Doran arrived on the scene and said he, “strongly advised him (Bright) to turn the power back on.” Councilman Bright refused. There were times when deputies had to step between Councilman Bright and Ms. Mathis’ fiancé in the ongoing dispute. Ms. Mathis said that the money Mr. Bright was requesting was offered to him and he refused to take the payment to restore power to the home in front of the deputies. “I told him on the phone I had his money,” she said. Mr. Bright said Ms. Mathis wanted to pay it to the power company, not him. “I said oh hell no you’re not, so that’s why I cut it off.” Deputies informed both parties involved that the situation was a civil matter and needed to be handled in the court system since Councilman Bright did not remove the power meter to disrupt electrical service. “If he touched that meter,“ Inv. Doran said, “that would be a different matter,” and would become a criminal act. Councilman Bright said he owns eight to ten mobile homes and three or four houses he rents out in the area, some of them as Section 8 Housing such as Ms. Mathis’. “You know when you rent to the government they send out an inspector before they gonna pay for it,” Mr. Bright said. But Mr. Bright and Ms. Mathis agreed that there had been electrical problems reported prior to the incident. “I told him (Bright) I wanted him to fix the problems if I was going to pay him,” Ms. Mathis said adding her fiancé works construction and he believed there might be faulty wiring in the mobile home. She said there was no power in her bedroom, the kitchen, and the living room. “The stove and the refrigerator didn’t even work.” The family has been staying with relatives since the incident and the power has been moved to Ms. Mathis’ name. Mr. Bright said he intends to address the electrical issues and invited EdgefieldDaily.com to witness his visit to the property. Ms. Mathis said she would not return to the home until she is sure it is safe for her and her three small children. According to Ms. Mathis, Section 8 pays Councilman Bright $575 a month for rent on the aged three bedroom mobile home. “I tried being nice,” Councilman Bright said, “and you see where it got me.” ©
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