ATLANTA - Montmorency County was threatened with legal action involving Commissioner Stacy Carroll during Wednesday's board of comissioners meeting.
Commissioner Brock Baggett addressed the issue that was formally brought up in a letter from attorney Alan Couture of Running Wise & Ford, after unsuccessfully attempting to delete the topic from the board agenda Wednesday.
"Basically, they are threatening legal action possibly. We don't need more legal action, we need to decide if Stacy is on NEMCOG or not," Commissioner Daryl Peterson said.
The letter was addressed to Baggett on behalf of the Montmorency County Commission on Aging in matters involving Carroll, former executive director of MCCOA, who was terminated last year by MCCOA.
"I did work there, I had a contract with the commission on aging. Now I'm an elected official, people appointed me to vote," Carroll said. "I want the commission on aging to succeed and for them to honor the contract. I'm tired of fighting with them, but this will go on to litigation."
The letter from Couture states Carroll has threatened to file a breach of employment contract litigation against MCCOA, which Couture believes is a conflict of interest, especially pertaining to MCCOA matters as a county commissioner and because she is appointed as the county representative to the NEMSCA board.
Couture demanded that Carroll immediately recuse herself from all county and NEMSCA business in any form whatsoever, including any and all discussions or voting that involves MCCOA.
"I'm not going to let an outside entity threaten us, it's just not going to happen. There's nothing he can sue us on. This has no bearing to be in front of the board," Baggett said. "All of the head butting in this county needs to stop."
Baggett said the committee assignments will remain the same, but said Carroll does not and will not vote on any county matters at NEMCOG meetings and would excuse herself, or be sanctioned.
"This whole thing is nuts. She doesn't vote and they don't discuss Montmorency County. I'm not going to let them or their attorney dictate how we run the county," Baggett said. "This isn't a threat, but if it doesn't stop, we can disband the MCCOA board."
In other business:
Emily Siegmon can be reached via e-mail at esiegmon@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.