ATLANTA — A grand jury indictment on Tuesday accuses DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis of threatening to withhold county business from companies that didn’t contribute to his campaign. The 15-count indictment accuses Ellis of trying to extort campaign contributions from companies and their employees. The indictment also alleges that Ellis instructed the county’s director of purchasing and contracting to prevent certain companies from getting business because they didn’t respond to his solicitations and didn’t contribute to his campaign. A phone message left at a phone number listed for Ellis was not immediately returned Tuesday evening. His lawyer, J. Tom Morgan, said by email Tuesday evening that he was reviewing the indictment. It was not immediately clear how long Ellis has to turn himself in to the county jail. According to the indictment, Ellis tried in February 2012 to get a campaign contribution from a company called Ciber Inc., and an employee there. Ellis allegedly threatened the employee, saying he would contact the company’s CEO to say the county wouldn’t be giving him their business anymore because of the employee’s poor customer service, the indictment says. In another case, the indictment alleges, Ellis threatened to withhold county business from Power and Energy Services Inc., after two company officers didn’t respond to his campaign contribution requests and a third said the company wouldn’t give money in June 2012. Then, in September, the indictment says he instructed Kelvin Walton, the county director of purchasing and contracting, not to give the company any more work and to put a note in its file saying the firm didn’t return phone calls. In October, Ellis told Walton to prevent the National Property Institute LLC, from receiving work from the county because the company didn’t respo-nd to his requests for campaign contributions and didn’t send money, the indictment says. Because the company didn’t respond, Ellis ordered a county employee to arrange for and attend a meeting with the company during her working hours, the indictment says. Representatives of the three companies named in the indictment as victims of Ellis’ alleged extortion attempts couldn’t be reached Tuesday evening. At some point between Nov. 1, 2011, and Nov. 30, 2012, the indictment alleges, Ellis ordered Walton to use county board of commission meeting agendas and county purchasing and contract information and data to create lists of vendors that had county contracts. Three county contract assistants helped him create those lists. Walton and the three assistants did these tasks during working hours while being paid by the company, but the lists were meant to be used by Ellis to solicit campaign contributions, the indictment says. Walton is not under indictment and he did not immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday evening. Ellis faces a variety of charges, including criminal attempt to commit theft by extortion, conspiracy in restraint of free and open competition, and theft by taking, among others. The office of county Commissioner Elaine Boyer said the commissioners were meeting individually with the county attorney for briefings on the situation and to determine what their next steps should be. Ellis was elected to a second term as county CEO in November. If Ellis resigns or is removed from office, the county election superintendent will have to call for a special election to replace him within 15 days, according to the county organizational act. The special election would have to be held no fewer than 29 days and no more than 45 days after the call. The presiding officer of the commission would fill in until a new CEO is elected. If Ellis remains in office, state law requires the governor to form a three-person panel to consider whether he should be suspended once the district attorney’s office sends him a copy of the indictment.

MARIETTA — Tuesday, the Cobb Board of Commissioners approved rezoning a small property in Smyrna that will be used for psychic readings and palmistry. Located on the eastern side of Atlanta Road, south of Paces Ferry Road, the existing metal structure on the property was once an auto repair business with multiple garage doors. In 2010, Michael McMillen and his son, Justin, purchased the parcel, which is just under a quarter of an acre, to remodel the building into a professional office, with a new brick or stucco exterior, according to their attorney, James Balli. Balli, who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, said the office would be used for “religious-based counseling” and all activity will be contained within the building. He said the business would be “very low impact” with hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday by appointment only, and no overnight parking. Balli said there would not be any neon lighting, and the sign at the entrance would be at ground level and no taller than 5 feet. There is only one nearby commercial property, which is a hair salon next door with a tall electronic sign. The remaining area consists of residential homes, including the Paces Park subdivision behind the McMillen property. Community outcry Twenty-seven residents attended Tuesday’s meeting to object to the proposed business. Four people addressed the board and said a business that provides psychic readings is out of character with the rest of the neighborhood. Chuck Hamilton, who has lived at the adjacent property at 3736 Paces Park Circle for 11 years, said he was speaking in opposition to the commissioners for the fourth time on this zoning request. “The proposed use does not benefit our community,” Hamilton said. Scott Hason, president of the 2000 Paces Ferry Home Owners Association, which includes 68 homes built between 1997 and 1999, said the neighbors are not against the space being zoned commercial. “It is the usage that we are strongly opposed to,” Hason said. In 2010, the family asked that the property be zoned to allow them to live and work on the site. At the time, the Board of Commissioners changed the zoning to strictly residential. In April, the Planning Commission recommended the zoning be changed to a one-story office that prohibits a psychic reading practice. The McMillen family already operates psychic reading businesses in Cobb County at the following locations: Psychic Readings by Gina at 2672 Austell Road, Atlanta’s Psychic Ashley at 3010 Roswell Road, Psychic Readings by Jennifer at 3497 Canton Road, and Psychic Answers by Jennifer at 2998 Powder Springs Road. Commissioner support Balli said comments by area residents at prior meetings have been disrespectful to his clients, who are just trying to practice their craft. The McMillens are part of the ethnic group known as Romani, who are often referred to as Gypsies. Commissioner Bob Ott said he only looks at the merits of each zoning case. “I am blind to the applicant,” Ott said. Chairman Tim Lee cautioned the people attending the meeting not to pass judgment or dictate what is or is not acceptable outside of zoning criteria. Over the past 10 years the area of east Cobb “has boomed, it has blossomed,” Lee said. He said the growth has allowed Cobb County to become diverse and that the Constitution protects religious freedom. “These people have been part of the community for a long, long time, throughout the county,” with no problems or complaints, Lee said.