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Newton County commissioners extend county manager’s administrative leave 7 days
Summary
The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to extend County Manager Cooper’s administrative leave for seven days, until the board’s next meeting on March 4, so staff can gather additional information.
The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to extend the administrative leave of County Manager Mr. Cooper for seven days, until the board’s next regular meeting on March 4, to give staff time to obtain additional information for the board.
The motion to extend the leave was made by Commissioner Edwards and seconded by Commissioner Lindsey; the board approved the motion four to one. Commissioner Henderson voted no.
Mr. Jockstetter, a staff member who spoke after the board returned from executive session, asked the board to consider a motion to extend Cooper’s administrative leave “for an additional 7 days until the next board meeting on March 4 to allow staff to gain obtain some additional information and present the same to the board of commissioners,” language read aloud during the meeting. Commissioner Edwards moved the extension and Commissioner Lindsey seconded the motion.
Commissioner Henderson said he opposed extending the leave and called for dismissal, saying the county should not “stop rewarding people for bad behavior.” Henderson said he believed the board should act immediately to remove the county manager rather than extend paid leave.
Commissioner Linton said the board was following a written policy and urged colleagues to change that policy if they disagreed with it. “Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Linton said, and noted that the written policy allows for a 10-day paid leave; he described the seven-day extension as a short period for staff to gather information before the board’s next meeting.
Another commissioner said a claim that Cooper had refused a random drug test was a misstatement, without providing further detail. The board did not take any additional formal actions beyond approving the seven-day extension and later adjourning the meeting.
The board amended the meeting agenda after returning from executive session to add the county manager discussion; that amendment passed 5-0. The extension vote that followed passed 4-1. The board adjourned after the extension vote.
Staff will present the additional information at the board’s next regular meeting on March 4, when the commissioners said they expected to decide on the matter without further interim action.
