County employee spent cash intended for Little Richard festival on hibachi, Waffle House and taxes, records show

The Little Richard House is located on Craft Street in the historic Pleasant Hill neighborhood.(Laura Corley | The Melody)

The Little Richard Festival was set to be a lively celebration of one of Macon’s most famous and impactful musicians, featuring live blues music performers, vendors and tours of the childhood home of the “founding father of rock ’n’ roll.”

But this year’s festival, which was set for April 26, was quietly called off when the nonprofit board that organizes it realized most of the cash donated to it for the community celebration was spent on other things including hibachi meals, cash withdrawals, an expense at an automotive shop plus purchases at Waffle House and Dollar Tree. Nearly half of it was used to pay overdue property taxes on a house in Jones County.

Documents obtained from Macon-Bibb County through the Open Records Act show The Friends of The Little Richard House Inc. received $5,000 from The Griffith Foundation in November to cover the cost of performers, a stage and porta-potties for the festival. Only $725 remained in the account at the end of the year.  

The Friends of Little Richard House Inc. board members said they were unaware of the depleted funds until March, when the newly-elected treasurer went to the bank to be added to the account. 

Public records show Tyrone Anthony Hill, a county employee who worked in the parks department, is accused by the county and the nonprofit board of using the money to pay for personal expenses. 

Hill was set to be fired, according to a notice of proposed disciplinary action dated March 21, but he refused to sign the paperwork. The county allowed him to resign on April 7 in lieu of termination, according to his county personnel file. Hill started working for the county in January 2024.

Meeting minutes for The Friends of The Little Richard House’s board show debit cards were issued to two people but only one of the cards had been used. The board requested receipts from Hill for the transactions, but Hill said he needed more time to produce them. At a later meeting, the board asked Hill to refund the money, including overdraft fees.

“It is clear this is a misappropriation of funds,” Armand Burnett, assistant director of the county recreation department, said according to notes from another recent meeting. “Will the board take any action?”

Burnett added that “in the future, no Macon-Bibb employee can handle any funds.”

It was unclear who authorized issuance of the two debit cards.

The largest expense from the nonprofit’s account totaled $2,597. Records obtained from the county show a receipt dated Nov. 4 for the same amount paid for with the nonprofit’s debit card. Property tax records from Jones County show the house is owned by Hill and his wife. 

Hill submitted a letter rebutting the notice of termination. 

“I strongly dispute these claims and respectfully request a reconsideration of this decision,” Hill wrote in the April 1 letter to Burnett. “The items in question were not owned by Macon-Bibb County, any co-worker, or any citizen in a manner that would constitute theft, attempted theft, or unauthorized use under county policies or applicable laws.” 

Hill said he had no intent to deprive the county of its property and any use of the funds “was done in good faith, without knowledge or belief that it was unauthorized.” He also requested a “full and fair review of the facts, including any supporting documentation or witness testimony that confirms the property ownership status and my good faith actions.” 

Whether the nonprofit will file criminal charges is unclear. Attempts to reach Hill were unsuccessful. The Griffith Foundation did not immediately return requests for comment.

The Little Richard Festival would have celebrated its sixth year in April. 

In 2017, one of Richard Wayne Penniman’s favorite childhood homes was moved from the eastside of Interstate 75 to the westside as part of a half-billion dollar interchange expansion project. The small yellow house on Craft Street opened to the public as The Little Richard House in 2019.

The Macon-Bibb Community Enhancement Authority operated the house as a sort of museum and tourist attraction up until last year, when Macon-Bibb County cut ties with the authority after it failed to provide receipts and detailed financial reports showing how it spent taxpayer dollars. 

Macon-Bibb County Commissioner Stanley Stewart, who is Penniman’s cousin, said he is going to take a more active role in making sure the Little Richard House is operating with transparency and integrity to make sure “his legacy lives on.”

“I’m not satisfied with how the house is being run or how it has been run,” Stewart said. “The house was supposed to serve as a resource center for the Pleasant Hill community.”

Stewart said he plans to bring up the alleged theft at the county commission’s regular meeting May 20 and ask for the county to “reimburse the house for the money” so the festival can still take place this year.

“Macon-Bibb should do the right thing,” he said, adding that he’d like to see finances for other county-funded operations. “There are other places around Macon-Bibb which are being run and we need some reports. We need reports on Henderson Stadium, Booker T. Washington Center and the Little Richard House.”