County Commission Votes to Keep Public From Hearing Discussion on Harry JonesCHARLOTTE, N.C. - Why did Harry Jones do it? We still don't know. The county manager issued a settlement of more than $60,000 in additional sick and vacation time to resigning mental health director Grayce Crockett in December. Policy clearly states that any settlements over $30,000 are to be approved by the board of County Commissioners. The commissioners were never told about the settlement until employees familiar with sick and vacation time structure brought it to their attention.
Tuesday, all commissioners except Jim Pendergraph, voted to move the discussion about Jones to closed session, citing personnel privacy issues. Pendergraph told commissioners, "What I'm questioning is going into closed session to discuss things that have been widely publicized in the media already. It goes to the issue of public confidence.” Pendergraph may have received payout above policy, too, when he retired as Sheriff in 2007. Jones sent out an email Saturday that indicated as much. Pendergraph says he wasn't aware of the overage and questions why Jones did it if it wasn't allowed. Commissioners emerged from their closed door session after 6 PM Tuesday and didn't say much else. Pendergraph did say, "We have been lawyered to death. We can tell you (more) when it's over with. There are people working right now on how the end is gonna be." FOX Charlotte obtained a copy of Harry Jones' employment agreement. Under Section Ten, Termination and Severance Pay, it states "In the event the Employee is guilty of unlawful conduct, gross negligence in the performance of his duties, gross or willful misfeasance, or gross or willful malfeasance, then Mecklenburg County shall have the right to terminate this agreement immediately." In layman's terms, the board can fire Jones even if his intentions were good. And that, so far, is all that Harry Jones has said about his decision to issue the more than $60,000 settlement. He says he made it in Mecklenburg County's "best financial interests."
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