Perry County Commission Chairman Albert Turner Jr. unilaterally appointed a new interim county administrator on May 27, one day after the county canvassing board certified results showing he lost his District 1 seat to challenger Donald Bennett by a single vote.
In a letter to the four other commissioners dated May 27, Turner said he had granted County Administrator Bev Gordon a personal leave of absence “due to a hostile work environment” and named Deputy Administrator Valerie Lockett as interim county administrator, effective immediately.
“I have been confronted with a personnel matter that calls for immediate action,” Turner wrote. “This is the second employee who served in the position of County Administrator who has made such a claim.” Turner said he had consulted with County Attorney Prince Chestnut and that “we feel that the action taken to name Ms. Lockett is in the best interest of the County.”
The appointment was made without a vote of the full commission. Turner notified the other four commissioners, Carlton Lewis, Barbara Howze, Tony Long and Brett Harrison, by letter rather than bringing the matter to a meeting.
The move raises immediate questions about the chairman’s authority. At the commission’s May 12 meeting, three commissioners, Long, Harrison and Lewis, voted to terminate Gordon. Turner attempted to declare that meeting adjourned before the vote, and Howze left the room, but Lewis picked up the gavel and the three remaining commissioners carried the motion. Lewis said he hand-delivered a termination notice to Gordon on May 20.
At the commission’s May 26 meeting, hours after the canvass, Lewis said Gordon had continued to report to work despite the termination. “She’s terminated,” Lewis said at that meeting. “She’s been served notice. She is still showing up in a position that she’s no longer employed in.”
Turner argued at the May 26 meeting that Gordon had not received a proper evaluation and was entitled to due process. An attorney from the office of County Attorney Prince Chestnut cited a 2016 resolution that made the commission chairman Gordon’s supervisor, but drew a distinction between supervisor and department head, saying the two are not the same under the county’s employee handbook. The attorney said the commission as a body is the ultimate decision-maker on employment. By granting Gordon a leave of absence rather than acknowledging her termination, Turner’s May 27 letter effectively treats the commission’s May 12 vote as if it did not occur.
Turner wrote that Lockett would serve in the interim role for two weeks at her regular pay before her compensation would increase to $80,000 per year. In a separate post on his Facebook page, Turner said Lockett’s current annual salary is $52,000. The pay increase was set without a commission vote on the budget.
Lockett, a Uniontown native, has 16 years of experience in the commission office and holds a county administrator certification, according to Turner’s letter. Turner’s Facebook post described her as the fourth interim county administrator to serve the county.
Commissioners Lewis, Long and Harrison have not responded publicly to the appointment. Turner continues to serve as commission chairman. His Facebook post noted that there was an effort by Lewis, Long and Harrison to remove him from the chairmanship at the May 26 meeting. Acting as chairman, Turner did not agree to place the item on the commission’s agenda that night.
