Macon-Bibb commission wants ability to overturn department head firings

Macon's mayor soon may not be able to fire a department head without the County Commission having the power to overturn the termination.

The Macon-Bibb County Commission's Committee of the Whole voted 6-2 Tuesday in favor of a proposal that ultimately could wrest some control from the mayor. The resolution asks state legislators to change the local government's charter, which would allow commissioners to block department head firings.

The current charter allows the mayor to fire certain employees at will. The proposed change would impact department heads, as well as jobs such as the clerk of the commission, county attorney and municipal county judge.

The resolution, sponsored by Commissioners Elaine Lucas and Larry Schlesinger, is scheduled to be on next week's County Commission agenda. The proposal says the commission could request the mayor to provide a reason for a termination, as well as allow the commission to vote on upholding or reversing the firing.

Mayor Robert Reichert said the proposal is a fundamental change to a charter that was designed to support a strong mayoral form of government.

"The mayor is given a lot of power in order to meet responsibilities," he said. "By making a change, you then divide the loyalty of the department heads. They'll try to curry favor with commissioners. I think you need to give the mayor the power to have a team that is loyal and dedicated."

Reichert has faced a roadblock before after he fired a department head only to have his decision up-ended by the former Macon City Council.

In 2011, Reichert fired Public Works Director Richard Powell amid allegations of incompetence. Months later, Powell was reinstated by the City Council in a 10-4 vote.

Lucas said the proposed change is needed to protect department leaders.

"I just feel like that was an oversight (in the new charter) and that in order for us to get the attention and be able to hire and retain good caliber department heads, that's just a no-brainier as far as having that protection in place," she said after Tuesday's meeting.

Commissioners Mallory Jones and Gary Bechtel voted against Tuesday's resolution that also would set parameters such as gross misconduct as a reason an employee could be fired. Commissioner Al Tillman was absent from the meeting.

Bechtel said department heads understand their roles allow them some control over staff, and that comes with the risk of having a mayor determine their fate.

"Time upon time and history upon history, management is fraught with risk, and it's based upon performance," Bechtel said.

Commissioner Ed DeFore said the commission should be able to hear department heads' grievances when they are fired. Commissioner Scotty Shepherd said he's worried someone's career could be ruined because a mayor had the only say in the termination.

The county manager could still be fired by the mayor, but the commission would not have a say in the matter, according to the proposal.

ANIMAL WELFARE CHANGES DELAYED

A proposal to make revisions defining when animal welfare officers can go on private property has been delayed.

The move came at the request of the local district attorney and solicitor general so they could review the changes, Reichert said during the commission's Operations and Finance Committee.

The proposed resolution says an animal welfare officer could go onto private property under certain circumstances such as when there is belief that an animal is sick, abandoned, rabid or mistreated; when a property owner has requested a stray animal to be picked up; or when animal welfare officers are in pursuit of an animal running on public property.

FIRE STATION LAND DEAL MOVES FORWARD

The Operations and Finance Committee approved a $45,000 agreement to buy land where a proposed east Bibb fire station would be built.

The 3947 Jeffersonville Road property is about a quarter-mile from a Donnan Road site that was deemed unsuitable after tests revealed the soil was not stable enough to support a station and its equipment.

Environmental tests show that the Jeffersonville site is suitable for a station, Lucas said.

The commission is expected to vote on the agreement next week.

To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623 or find him on Twitter

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb commission wants ability to overturn department head firings ."