Taxpayers were pleased during Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting when the board voted “no” to paying suspended chairman Marcello Banes’ legal fees. Banes – who is facing several federal criminal charges – made a request to the board for the county to cover his legal defense on Aug. 2, according to a letter obtained by The Covington News. The letter dated Aug. 6 from the law office of Jarrard and Davis and county attorney Patrick Jaugstetter outlined the legalities behind this request. According to the letter, Georgia law does authorize a county to adopt policies at a local level that could cover legal fees against civil or criminal cases. However, Newton County does not have a general policy.