Thompson out as Finance Director

GAINESVILLE - The reshuffling continues in the Hall County Commission, as it added another former Gwinnett County official.

Finance Director Michaela Thompson has been replaced with Lisa Johnsa.

Johnsa is the former Gwinnett County finance director and assistant county administrator, and becomes the second former Gwinnett official to join Hall County in as many days.

The Commission voted 3-2 Thursday night to hire former Gwinnett Administrator Jock Connell as interim Hall County Administrator, replacing Charley Nix, who resigned when he learned three members of the commission planned to vote to replace him.

Connell's contract is for six months.

He said he hopes his experience will help the new commission board.

He said there may be more administrative changes, but he's not ready to announce them.

"There are some other personnel issues that are being looked at and right now its premature for me to speak about it," Connell said.

Connell is interim administrator for six months; he was Gwinnett's administrator for five years.

CONTENTIOUS MEETING

A capacity crowd filled the Georgia Mountains Center Thursday night to witness a contentious start to the new year for the Hall County Commission.

With few exceptions the vote on each agenda item was 3-2... with Chairman Tom Oliver and Billy Powell opposed, and Commissioners Craig Lutz, Scott Gibbs and Ashley Bell in favor.

Oliver brought transparency and openness into question, especially on the issue of the new county attorney, the interim appointment of Charles Johnson from Atlanta. In an exchange with Lutz, Oliver questioned how that decision was reached and how much legal fees would be.

"You've yielded the floor to Commissioner Powell," Lutz said

"We're running this right now and then you can have your turn and say what you like," Oliver replied. "I think the people here deserve the right to know what you're charging. I have contracts here that you've drawn up and we're suppose to execute a contract with tonight."

The employment contract was for Johnsa, made at the request of Connell after discussion with county commissioners. Powell asked how he was supposed to vote on a contract when he's never seen the contract and did not know the terms.

Powell said the county was paying $150 an hour to long time county attorney Bill Blalock of Gainesville. Johnson said his firm's rates vary but his personal fee is between $300 and $400 an hour. The new law firm will serve with a fee cap of $10,000 until a contract is negotiated.

CLERMONT LIBRARY

The vote also split 3-2 on locating the new North Hall library in Clermont instead of at the Nopone Road recreation site, with Oliver and Powell opposed, and Gibbs, Lutz and Bell voting yes. Clermont Mayor James Nix said he was very happy with the Commission's vote to locate the library in his town, as originally planned, when SPLOST funds are available.

"That's what we've been wanting," the Mayor said. "We look forward to working with the commissioners in building that library.

Gibbs said the SPLOST timetable calls for library construction in 2013, but expects to learn the status of SPLOST revenues when the Commission meets with its accountants next week.

COOL SPRINGS SUSPENDED

The board expressed an intention to suspend Cool Springs Park construction and instructed Connell to meet with the construction manager, architect, contractor and interim county attorney to determine the best way to extricate the county from this transaction and report his recommendation to the board by Jan. 13, 2011. Again the vote was 3-2, with Oliver and Powell opposed.

VACANT SEAT/ NO PAY CUTS

Also Thursday night, the board appointed Paul Barnes to the board of tax assessors, with the seat to remain vacant until the state Attorney General rules on the validity of the appointment, provided the ruling is made within 90 days. The vote was 4-1 with Powell casting the only "no" vote.

Oliver addressed rumors that the commission plans to make across-the-board salary cuts for county employees. He said he would never support such a measure. Each Commissioner in turn agreed that he would not support salary cuts.