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More on Dane Perry - Former Jasper County Manager

Following is another story from the AJC concerning the former manager.  It amazes us that one of the previous county commissioners continues to recommend Dane Perry.  Sources tell us he was relieved from his duties here because of “irreconcilable differences.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/0118metpowder.html

January 18, 2006

Powder Springs city manager dismissed

 By Tucker McQueen

Just six months into his job, the Powder Springs city manager negotiated his resignation amid his bosses' dissatisfaction with his performance and after what he said was a misunderstood joke with a city police officer.  Dane Perry, 37, has been dismissed from two Atlanta-area government administration jobs in the past 15 months, though the Forsyth County Civil Service Board later ordered his reinstatement as an assistant administrator in that county before he moved to Powder Springs.

Powder Springs Mayor Pat Vaughn said it was Perry's on-the-job behavior, not anything in Forsyth, that led to his dismissal in the Cobb County city of 12,000.  "He didn't do anything illegal. He wasn't a bad person," said Vaughn. "He just didn't meet our expectations."  The manager is hired under contract by the City Council and mayor to handle day-to-day operations of city departments, and he answers to the elected officials.  Perry's attorney, Linwood Gunn, did not respond to requests for comment.

The severance agreement, which paid Perry nearly $18,000 to resign on Dec. 2, says neither he nor city officials may speak out or file suit. Vaughn appeared cautious and vague in conversations about Perry.  But documents obtained under the Georgia Open Records Act show that she and the council were clearly frustrated with Perry after three months on the job.

In an Aug. 24 letter, Vaughn chastised Perry for not getting approval for city purchases, socializing with subordinates and spending too much time away from the office.  A month later, the mayor and council listed 18 expectations for the manager, including close attention to financial matters and a greater presence with city businesses.  A month later, Vaughn wrote that Perry caused her "great distress" when he suggested that a city police officer not write a ticket for a citizen who was involved in an accident with a city vehicle. In exchange, the driver, who had parked illegally, would not file a claim against the garbage truck that hit the car, according to the scenario spelled out in Vaughn's Oct. 6 letter to Perry.

The officer refused and told the police chief about the incident, a mayor and council report says. In the letter to Perry, Vaughn wrote about a discussion she had with the manager when he said he was only joking with the officer.  "Joking about such matters demonstrates poor judgment and does not reflect well on the city," Vaughn wrote.

Forsyth officials fired Perry in fall 2004 after an internal investigation determined he pressured vendors for tickets to sports event, golf outings and other gifts.  The Civil Service Board reinstated him three months later for procedural reasons, though his salary was cut from $74,000 to $54,000. He was hired at $85,000 a year in Powder Springs.  The Powder Springs mayor and council knew about the charges and the board's decision. The reinstatement, Vaughn said, along with positive references from jobs in Walton and Jasper counties and a strong background in government administration, put him at the top of 30 candidates.