Miller Co. power struggle continues - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Miller Co. power struggle continues

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By LeiLani Golden - bio | email

COLQUITT, GA (WALB) – A power struggle between Miller County Commissioners and constitutional officers continues.

A lawyer for the Sheriff and other officials says county commissioners are overstepping their authority. Citizens showed up at a special meeting tonight hoping for some answers. But many left with more questions.

Concerned citizens packed the Miller County Courthouse Monday night for a special public meeting. County commissioners called it to address an ongoing power struggle between them and Miller county constitutional officers. But some say the meeting only made matters worse.

"I do think it would be better for both sides to work it out with lawyers," says former Miller County commissioner Allen Worsely.

An attorney for the commissioners told an upset taxpayer the reason for costly lawyer involvement stemmed from personnel policy issues.

"Honestly, I think it's a pile of bull," continued Worsely. "I was there for eight years and myself and the other former commissioner hired RDC out of Camilla to do a personnel policy. We had no problems then, no lawsuits."

One problem came when county commissioners apparently fired a Sheriff's deputy working as a school resource officer, even though they don't have the power to do that. At the meeting, commissioners claimed that never happened.

"They said they never fired anyone out of anybody's office and at that time it kind of hit me because, yeah. And a lot of people in the crowd said yes, somebody was fired, too," says the deputy in question, Michele Williams.

She showed us the termination notice mailed to her in December.

"About a week later I went to the drug store to pick up my medicine and they said my coverage had been interrupted because of the termination. They did rehire me within two weeks saying it was a big misunderstanding."

Misunderstanding seemed to be the theme of the evening, with many people leaving more confused than when they arrived.

At the recommendation of their lawyer, the commissioners closed the public question portion of the meeting when the crowd got too rowdy.

Lawyers for both sides still say they want to settle any issues out of court.

 

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