“I really don’t want to make a comment. I want to close this career chapter and move on to the next.”
This is the only comment of former Ware County Manager Scott Moye after his resignation Monday, October 14 to the Ware County Commission.
The resignation was given by Moye behind closed doors during a 2 ½-hour executive session. The 3-2 acceptance came after commissioners returned from the executive session and was handled as the last item during the October monthly meeting.
Commissioner Timothy Lucas made the motion to accept the resignation reading from a prepared statement, “I have in my hand a motion to accept Scott Moye, the presiding County Manager at this time, his resignation effective today, October 14, 2024, to pay accumulated PTO (paid time off) and to provide insurance and salary until Dec ember 31, 2024.”
Commissioner Sammy Hendricks seconded the motion.
Commissioner Leonard Burse, clearly distraught, spoke up during the discussion period following Hendricks’ second for the motion.
“I don’t think this will be a right move to accept the county manager’s resignation in view of what it’s predicated upon,” said Burse. “I don’t even want to vote to accept his resignation. Scott Moye has done a good job as county manager, and I think he would continue to do it.
“I think a lot of times we get involved down into the mud of different things and just inundate him with a lot of things where he can’t effectively do his job. This is something we need to think about long and hard. I just don’t think this is the right decision to remove the county manager.
“We have too many things that’s going on in this county. We have road projects going on, we have overpasses, we have key positions where people have already left ... I just think this will be detrimental to the county if we make this move at this time.”
Voting to accept the resignation were Chairman Elmer Thrift, Lucas and Hendricks.
Commissioners Jerry Pope and Burse voted not to accept the resignation.
After the vote, Thrift called for commissioner comments. Pope moved to adjourn, and got up to leave as Lucas seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned.
Since Monday’s meeting, commissioners have been asked why they voted the way they did and the responses varied.
Thrift said he had “no comment” on the matter. Lucas said the manager submitted his resignation and rhetorically asked, “How can you make someone stay who wants to resign?”
Moye
Hendricks said he thought it was the best thing to do stating, “All I did was accept a resignation.”
Pope said, “On advice of the county attorney (Jennifer Herzog), I have been directed not to say anything about the resignation of the county manager at this time.”
Moye, who had been working without a contract since August 2023, left Monday’s session early, gathered his belongings, and left the building, clearly under duress.
The Board of Commissioners had considered renewing Moye’s contract since August 2023, but had not done so culminating in the action taken Monday night.
