Bell sheds more light on county shake-up

GAINESVILLE - Hall County Commissioner Ashley Bell shed some more light this morning on the changes in administrators in county government.

Appearing on the Al Gainey Show on AM 550 and FM 102.9 WDUN, Bell said the decision to replace county administrator Charley Nix, whose last day on the job was yesterday, was a business decision - that county governments are now in a "buyer's market."

"We had an opportunity to look at someone like Jock Connell, who has five years experience managing a county five or six times our size...and he was free and available now."

Bell said Connell, who will serve as interim county administrator and is a former Gwinnett County administrator, will be paid the same that Nix was paid but will bring a wealth of experience with him. Bell also noted that Nix did not have any experience in a position such as county administrator when he was hired.

He also said Assistant County Administrator Phil Sutton, who was also dismissed, will not be replaced.

While the commission may be divided today on the dismissal of the four, which also includes the county attorney and county finance office, Bell said "I guarantee you that next week you are going to see a commission start working together...I think myself, Tom Oliver, we have the same goals we just have different means of getting there and we're going to get there."

As for the dismissal of longtime county attorney Bill Blalock, Bell said that while Blalock is "well-qualified and probably one of the best attorneys in the county...my issue remains and has been for more than a year the fact that a partner in his firm (was involved in) a for-profit business with two of the commissioners (Oliver and Billy Powell)."

Bell said nothing is official until a vote is taken tonight. He added the matter was not expected to come up until tonight when it is to be voted on during an already-scheduled county commission meeting, that is until it was leaked to the media and the story broke yesterday afternoon.

Oliver, the county commission chairman, yesterday called the move to replace the four by Bell and newly-elected commissioners Craig Lutz and Scott Gibbls "illegal." (See separate story.)

Lutz said yesterday the action was simply following a "mandate" set by the voters. (See separate story.)

(Please check back for more on this developing story.)