Dougherty County Commission holds personnel hearing for former County Administrator Michael McCoy

ALBANY — Former Dougherty County Administrator Michael McCoy had his day in front of county commissioners on Monday in a hearing whose witnesses included Commission Chairman Lorenzo Heard.

McCoy requested the personnel hearing that was still in session into the late afternoon, with retired Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Mark Anthony Scott presiding over the session.

The hearing got off to a rocky start as McCoy’s attorney, Maurice King, lodged objections to the judge’s first announced decision to consider the hearing as a “motion for reconsideration” of employment.

“This hearing needs some framework,” Scott said.

That framework would serve to prevent the hearing from becoming too broad, the judge said.

“Since I disagree with this procedure, I’m going to ask for a continuing objection to the entire procedure,” King said. “I told you what I thought the hearing should be, and I showed you the law.”

The friction between the two continued as King opened his case by referring to McCoy’s firing as a “lynching.”

“There used to be a time in Dougherty County, Georgia, and the nation when the (powers) used to be judge, jury and executioner,” King said. “Just because the lynchers had the power to do it doesn’t make it OK. Just because the names of the lynchers may have changed …”

Cutting King off in mid-sentence, the judge requested that the attorney change his tone and eliminate the harsh language.

“In this case, a majority of the commission are just like the lynchers,” King responded.

Following the completion of the procedural and opening statements, Heard was called by Patrice Perkins-Hooker, the attorney representing the county, as the first witness.

In her opening remarks, Perkins-Hooker referred to a June 6 letter sent to McCoy following a June 5 4-3 commission vote to terminate McCoy. That letter stated that McCoy was terminated for “just cause” due to the “judgment” he exercised by not consulting with the commission prior to McCoy’s hiring of an assistant county administrator.

During his testimony, Heard said that, specifically, McCoy was required to bring the matter to the commission for the disposition or approval of the assistant’s salary.

Under questioning from King, Heard said that he made the motion during a May 22 meeting to terminate McCoy’s contract, which had been renewed in December prior to Heard taking office.

On June 5, the commission rescinded that vote and then immediately took another vote in which Heard was joined by Commissioners Victor Edwards, Gloria Gaines and Clinton Johnson to again terminate McCoy.

That vote, Heard said on Monday, was taken due to issues raised by the state attorney general about the initial vote. McCoy did have the authority to hire the assistant county attorney, he said.

King also asked the chairman about the hiring of a human resources director for the county that McCoy made about two weeks before the hiring of Barry Brooks as the assistant county administrator. He also alluded to Brooks being white and the other hire being black.

“After the hiring of the black human resources director, did y’all say anything?” King said.

“No we didn’t,” Heard said.

When King tried to question Heard about the objection to the white hire, Perkins-Hooker objected to the direction the questions were taken and Scott instructed King to move on to another question.

King also called county Public Information Officer Wendy Howell and County Clerk Jawahn Ware to the stand during the session.

The commission was scheduled to meet in closed session at the conclusion of the hearing.

File PhotoAlanMauldin[email protected]
https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f714026fc83d6150ab9a4350b4169940?s=100&d=mm&r=gStaff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f714026fc83d6150ab9a4350b4169940?s=100&d=mm&r=g