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Questions of ouster rise as Fuller takes over job

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

(Updated 10:04 am)

By Gerald Witt
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO — Ben Brown resigned as deputy county manager in December under the threat that county commissioners wanted to eliminate his job.

On Monday, Sharisse Fuller was named assistant county manager, adding to her duties as human resources director. But now a majority of commissioners say they didn’t support forcing out Brown.

The Board of Commissioners chairman, Melvin “Skip” Alston, and Vice Chairman Steve Arnold told former County Manager David McNeill they had the support to fire Brown and remove his job.

“I know what I had,” Alston said. “You can second-guess it six months later; I said what I had, and that’s what I had.”

The turnover, along with changes in the county attorney’s office and 72 job cuts, have led to questions among commissioners over who is running the county’s day-to-day operations.

Commissioner Kirk Perkins on Tuesday said he did not support removing Brown, making him the sixth to say that he wasn’t contacted by Alston or Arnold or did not approve of eliminating Brown’s job.

Kay Cashion, John Parks, Paul Gibson, Mike Winstead and Billy Yow have made similar statements.

“If there was a coalition of commissioners,” Perkins said, “no, I wasn’t among that coalition.”

County commissioners hire and fire the county manager, but not his or her next-in-charge.

McNeill retired suddenly Dec. 11. Brown resigned the next day.

When he heard that the commissioners might not have supported his removal, Brown said, “I guess that surprises me and that doesn’t surprise me.”

Yow said he suspected a plan as well.

“This thing has been set up,” he said. “You put them all on a lie-detector test and you’ll see.”

Cashion, Gibson and Winstead weren’t available for comment Tuesday.

Fuller said her new role is a combination position, making it different from Brown’s old job.

“If there’s ever a situation where there could be some conflict, I would not involve myself,” Fuller said of any conflict of interest as one of the county’s top administrators.

She will make $157,000 a year, a 24 percent increase over her salary of $126,373 when she was solely human resources director. Brown made $160,400.

After McNeill left, county commissioners named Brenda Jones Fox interim county manager, then conducted a search for a new manager using in-house staff.

She named Fuller as special assistant to the interim county manager.

Fox was named county manager in April even though she didn’t apply for the job. On Monday, she announced Fuller’s title change.

“You’ve probably been told by others that somebody had this planned out all along,” Brown said.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com

MORE ONLINE

From Allen Johnson's Thinking Out Loud blog: Alston and Arnold: A 10-step plan?

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scottb

May 12, 2009 - 7:03 pm EDT

What the heck is this: “I know what I had, you can second-guess it six months later, I said what I had, and that’s what I had,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin “Skip” Alston.

This nut is who we put i n charge? I don't need six months to second guess him.

incredible

May 12, 2009 - 10:00 pm EDT

Why is it that when other county employees assume additional duties or get a promotion, they are held to a 5% increase in salary? Now Ms. Fuller is receiving a 24% increase?

Theo

May 12, 2009 - 10:47 pm EDT

A $30,000 pay raise.?!!!???.... How do you justify this after 2 rounds of layoffs??????

nctropics

May 13, 2009 - 1:45 am EDT

You would really want this to be a bad play where the audience is given rotten tomatoes to throw onstage to get the second-rate actors off the stage because the real actors are home with the chickenpox and the acting is just too pitiful to endure. The dialogue in this news report is just so cheesy and so juvenile that you almost think these people are in middle school. That whole "I know what I had...blah blah blah" line sounds like someone is incapable of articulating what they had and is playing a "smoke and mirrors" game. Share the information and tell us all what YOU know -What did you have? Unfortunately these are your elected officials -no, you are not stuck with them forever, but the results of their brief reign of power are yet to be determined- and that's what it sounds like: PEOPLE DRUNK ON POWER. The hangover from that binge is not something that can be cured with aspirin either. I'll be perfectly honest, with the economy being what it is today, they would have had to fire me not just threaten me with job loss. Give me a cardboard box and escort me to the door; as long as I'm there, I am on the clock. I don't think Skip will be able to pull that bluff anymore since the layers on that particular onion (aka support) seem to be peeling away. This whole situation -conducting a search for a county manager and then giving the job to someone who didn't apply for it and forcing out other people and giving people "combination jobs"- leaves a bad taste in the mouth. These back room deals make me wonder who has pictures or voice recordings or birth certificates locked away in a vault somewhere. According to this article, the county commissioners are wondering who is running the county's day-to-day operations. Well if THEY don't know....just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn't it? I'm hoping the N&R stays on these little juicy tidbits. Since the county budget has appeared with numerous slashes on needed services, each day a new article appears criticizing the budget cuts. Maybe some of us will pay attention.

getapet

May 13, 2009 - 9:07 am EDT

How is it that county jobs are being cut left and right but this person gets a $30,000 raise?? Most of the county employees will not even see the 3% raise this year because of budget issues and yet they throw money to the "higher ups" like its a 2 bit strip club. Glad my tax dollars are being spent on filling someone elses pockets.

westronandnan@aol.com

May 13, 2009 - 10:14 am EDT

What an absolute embarrassment! However, on the positive side, these incompetents CAN BE VOTED OUT!

tiredofthebull

May 13, 2009 - 11:01 am EDT

I am so angry about this whole situation! I was layed off from the county bc of reduction in force, and now Sharisse get's a $30,000.00 promotion????? They could have let me keep my job bc that is exactly what I made even with a degree. Know here I am barely making it, and trying to find a new job. KARMA is going to catch up with these people!!

Elmer

May 13, 2009 - 2:50 pm EDT

Life imitates "The Wire."
Sharisse gets to play "Nerese Campbell" simply because it rhymes.
Skip gets to play Clay Davis, because they're both alike.
I guess Brenda J-F gets to be Clarence Royce.
Paul Gibson gets to play Odell Watkins.