At least two Lowndes County supervisors pushed for County Administrator Ralph’s Billingsley’s immediate firing in an executive session of Monday’s board of supervisors meeting, but they backed off after a heated argument, multiple sources confirmed to The Dispatch.
The session quickly escalated into a shouting match that could be heard from outside closed doors after Harry Sanders, president of the board of supervisors, moved to terminate the longtime county administrator, according to sources present for the executive session who confirmed the information but asked not to be named since the debate happened in closed session. District 2 Supervisor Trip Hairston seconded Sanders’ motion, but later rescinded it, leaving the matter without a full board vote.
Billingsley, who became county administrator in 2008, has already announced his intent to retire Sept. 30.
Sanders had acknowledged to The Dispatch last month he and Hairston, citing “legitimate concerns,” asked for Billingsley’s resignation in February. The position is among four county positions directly hired by the supervisors without the need to advertise, Sanders said.
In late March, Billingsley submitted a letter of retirement effective at the end of the county’s fiscal year. He is set to stay through the fiscal year while training his successor, Jay Fisher, who was hired last month and will be paid $50,000 this year as a trainee starting May 1.
But during the Monday executive session, Sanders cited “disrespectful” behaviors from Billingsley in his effort to oust him immediately, sources said.
“Harry said Ralph called him a liar,” one of the sources told The Dispatch. “He said there was a meeting and Ralph disrespected him.”
Hairston, multiple sources said, worried about fissures between Billingsley and Fisher.
“(Hairston) was (initially) concerned about the environment in the office that, if Ralph was not willing to work with (Fisher), it would … make things difficult for not just him, but the rest of the office,” one source told The Dispatch.
Sanders, Hairston and Billingsley offered no on-the-record comment on the matter, pointing to the confidentiality of issues discussed in closed sessions.
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks, who had accused Sanders of leading the effort to oust Billingsley, did not comment on the record. But during the Monday session, Brooks’ voice could be heard through the door.
“You won’t tell the truth,” he shouted at Sanders.
District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith told The Dispatch, “Billingsley needs to be left alone to do his job.” He said it is high time the county moved forward and created an environment where Billingsley could help train Fisher on his new job.
District 3 Supervisor John Holliman could not be reached for comment by press time.
Yue Stella Yu was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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