With three new commissioners on board in Calhoun County, change is to be expected. After being sworn in last Tuesday morning, Lee Lee Brown (district 1), Lee Shelton (district 3) and Thomas Flowers (district 5) joined existing board members, Darrell McDougald (district 2) and Truman Grant (district 4), at the table for their first official meeting Tuesday night. Flowers was quickly elected chair of the new board as the session got underway.
New BCC votes to eliminate position
It was business as usual until commissioner time, the last item on the agenda. Commissioner Brown gave a heartfelt speech, then made a motion to terminate the position of county administrator held by Sonny O’Bryan.
Brown stressed that he felt O’Bryan had done a fabulous job in his role as county administrator, as well as emergency management director. However, he noted he had spoken with citizens at over 600 homes while campaigning and realized O’Bryan’s position was a heavily debated issue. Brown said he received numerous phone calls and text messages earlier in the day prior to the meeting, with some urging him to fire O’Bryan and others pleading for him to remain in his position with the county.
After all was said and done, Brown said he felt certain the O’Bryan issue was “quick sand” to the commission and would keep the county from moving forward if it wasn’t quickly put behind them. With that in mind, he made the motion to eliminate the county administrator position. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Shelton with Commissioner Flowers voting in favor of it. Both Commissioners Grant and McDougald cast votes against the decision.
Brown was clear that his motion was only to eliminate the county administrator position, not O’Bryan, since he was originally hired to be the emergency management director.
County Attorney Matt Fuqua confirmed that the county administrator position had never been established under a county ordinance.
“I really don’t care if you fire me, to be honest with you,” O’Bryan told the board. “I gave my life to this county. I have worked hard, day and night. I’m a little embarrassed...I’m quite embarrassed. I would have thought you guys would have gone to a workshop to discuss this.”
O’Bryan went on to criticize The County Record’s reporting of issues regarding him. He was not specific, but articles in the past have included his “double dipping” retirement matter when he left for 30 days and came back at full salary (over $80,000) six months after hiring Joe Wood, Jr. as assistant county administrator with the understanding Wood was being trained to take the administrator’s post. Nearly two years later, he has yet to complete training Wood and given no indication of plans to step down. Other issues reported in recent months include the monthly $850 flat fee O’Bryan receives on top of fuel reimbursements, bringing his total pay for travel to around $20,000. Questions surrounding why Community Development Block Grant applications under O’Bryan’s direction are being used solely for road projects, with economic development and fire projects never even considered in recent years, were also covered.
A workshop will be held Thursday night, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. in the Extension Office meeting room to discuss how to structure the emergency management office and road grant projects O’Bryan is handling. O’Bryan’s role with the county and his salary will also be discussed. Immediately following the workshop, the commission will enter into a special session to allow voting on items discussed in the workshop.
Brown stressed that he felt O’Bryan had done a fabulous job in his role as county administrator, as well as emergency management director. However, he noted he had spoken with citizens at over 600 homes while campaigning and realized O’Bryan’s position was a heavily debated issue. Brown said he received numerous phone calls and text messages earlier in the day prior to the meeting, with some urging him to fire O’Bryan and others pleading for him to remain in his position with the county.
After all was said and done, Brown said he felt certain the O’Bryan issue was “quick sand” to the commission and would keep the county from moving forward if it wasn’t quickly put behind them. With that in mind, he made the motion to eliminate the county administrator position. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Shelton with Commissioner Flowers voting in favor of it. Both Commissioners Grant and McDougald cast votes against the decision.
Brown was clear that his motion was only to eliminate the county administrator position, not O’Bryan, since he was originally hired to be the emergency management director.
County Attorney Matt Fuqua confirmed that the county administrator position had never been established under a county ordinance.
“I really don’t care if you fire me, to be honest with you,” O’Bryan told the board. “I gave my life to this county. I have worked hard, day and night. I’m a little embarrassed...I’m quite embarrassed. I would have thought you guys would have gone to a workshop to discuss this.”
O’Bryan went on to criticize The County Record’s reporting of issues regarding him. He was not specific, but articles in the past have included his “double dipping” retirement matter when he left for 30 days and came back at full salary (over $80,000) six months after hiring Joe Wood, Jr. as assistant county administrator with the understanding Wood was being trained to take the administrator’s post. Nearly two years later, he has yet to complete training Wood and given no indication of plans to step down. Other issues reported in recent months include the monthly $850 flat fee O’Bryan receives on top of fuel reimbursements, bringing his total pay for travel to around $20,000. Questions surrounding why Community Development Block Grant applications under O’Bryan’s direction are being used solely for road projects, with economic development and fire projects never even considered in recent years, were also covered.
A workshop will be held Thursday night, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. in the Extension Office meeting room to discuss how to structure the emergency management office and road grant projects O’Bryan is handling. O’Bryan’s role with the county and his salary will also be discussed. Immediately following the workshop, the commission will enter into a special session to allow voting on items discussed in the workshop.
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