The Jackson County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to have interim county manager Leonard Myers investigate the alleged forced resignation of a county department head in March.
Commissioner Tom Crow made the motion after reading a prepared letter about questionable actions by former county manager Darrell Hampton.
Crow stated: “It appears that because of my efforts to gather information one of our department heads was forced to resign. The instruction (from Hampton) to have resignation tendered by March of 2011 was given during fall of 2010 after this department head had answered questions from me.”
Neither Crow nor anyone else at the meeting named the individual, but on Tuesday commissioner Chas Hardy confirmed that Crow was speaking about former road superintendent Larry Guthrie.
Crow said the department head had an outstanding work record.
“This board had just this January instructed Mr. Hampton to write a letter of commendation to this department head and his staff for outstanding work during the snow storm. This letter of commendation was never delivered,” Crow said.
Crow said, “To correct this injustice, I propose that this board instruct our interim county manager to investigate this matter and bring a recommendation back to this board at our next meeting. Hopefully, the recommendation will be to reinstate to (his) former position (the) department head.”
Commissioner Bruce Yates asked Crow if he had had a conversation with the department head in question about being forced to tender his resignation by Hampton. Crow said, “Yes, I have.” Yates said he would take Crow’s word on the matter and vote in favor of the motion for an investigation.
Crow’s letter also questioned Hampton’s actions involving approximately $250,000 in expenditures that were brought to the board’s attention earlier.
“Explanations to the expenditures were to be presented to the board at the next meeting,” said Crow. “Instead of answers and explanations, Mr. Hampton tendered his resignation which was accepted by a 4 to 1 vote.”
Crow said he voted against the motion to accept Hampton’s resignation because he did not approve Hampton’s compensation package.
“Since that occurred, I have found another $600,000 spent without normal procedures being followed or being approved by this board for the I.W. Davis Correctional Institute,” Crow said.
