Dear Editor:

I would like to respond to the written rebuttal of Grady County’s Administrator, Mr. Buddy Johnson, concerning the hiring of County Clerk. My comments were addressed to the Board of Commissioners (BOC). Mr. Johnson’s rebuttal is not a response of the BOC.

Mr. Johnson did say that Mr. Monds’ “passion is built on a foundation of sand,” instead of “head in the sand,” according to the recording of the meeting. I stand corrected.

But Mr. Johnson did not include the entire statement about “sand” or “the running for school board,” just as I had not in my comments. The recording speaks for itself, and the public can obtain a copy of the recording and listen to it.

My comments were based on what happened (the questioning and answering) and not on the facts or arguments as presented by Mr. Monds or Mr. Johnson. While I do not know the facts or the merits of the arguments, Mr. Monds raised issues that probably would not have been uncovered during a review for employment. This is because I construe the issue as to whether there was inappropriate conduct by certain school personnel and a staff person which Mr. John White, as a member (of) the Board of Education, should have raised and properly addressed in connection with the firing of a school employee, a Privacy Act matter. If this was not done, there is an issue as to whether Mr. White should serve as Human Resource Director who has the responsibility to advise on employee conduct and to serve as County Clerk who has the responsibility to maintain records for the County.

These issues were raised for the BOC’s consideration, not the County Administrator’s. The County Administrator can advise the BOC on a personnel matter during a nonpublic meeting; this would not make his public “oral rebuttal” appropriate. Note that Mr. Johnson made a comment while I was delivering my comments to the BOC.

I never inferred that Mr. Johnson and Mr. White did not have free speech rights. Certainly, they have such rights, and the written rebuttal would be an exercise of that right. This does not mean that Mr. Johnson, in his capacity of County employee, had a “right” to speak during the public comment period of the meeting or to call on witnesses (citizen and employee) to testify (answer). He was given the floor to speak by the Chair of the BOC, though, and was permitted to question two persons who were not under oath. No doubt the citizen did not know the questioning would take place, and the questions were highly inappropriate, as were the repeated statements about slandering.

My comments on the incident in question were for the BOC’s consideration.

What happened is germane to public confidence and participation in County government.

Betty Godwin