Newton County commissioners extend county manager—s administrative leave 7 days after executive session

The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 at a special-call meeting to extend the administrative leave of County Manager Mister Cooper for seven days, until the board—s next meeting on March 4, the county attorney told commissioners.

The extension was proposed after the board held an executive session on personnel matters. The county attorney recommended the extension to give staff time to obtain additional information and present it to the commissioners before the board makes a final decision.

Why it matters: The vote postpones any immediate termination or other formal action and split commissioners, with one member urging dismissal and others saying they were following written policy and seeking more information.

Board actions before the vote included adoption of the agenda and a motion to convene in executive session; both carried 5-0. The board also voted 5-0 to amend the agenda to add a discussion item regarding the county manager.

County Attorney: "Consistent with our discussions in executive session, we are recommending that the board consider a motion to extend the administrative leave of Mister Cooper for an additional 7 days until the next board meeting on March 4 to allow staff to obtain some additional information and present the same to the board of commissioners," the county attorney told the board.

Discussion: Commissioner Henderson said the extension was unacceptable and called for dismissal, saying the process had favored the manager. "I totally disagree with that. They stop, rewarding people for bad behavior," Henderson said.

Commissioner Linton defended following established procedures. "What we are doing is following a policy that is set in writing," Linton said, adding that "everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty" and that additional information would help the board make a sound decision.

Vote and outcome: The motion to extend the administrative leave passed 4-1. The board recorded the outcome as approved; Commissioner Henderson was recorded as opposing the motion.

Next steps: The extension runs until the board—s next scheduled meeting on March 4, when staff are to present the additional information the county attorney described. No further personnel action was taken at the special-call meeting.

Taper: After the vote the board moved to adjourn the special-call meeting.

Votes at a glance • Extend administrative leave for Mister Cooper by 7 days (until March 4): Passed 4-1 (no: Commissioner Henderson).