Forsyth County manager fired on 3-2 vote

Forsyth County Commissioners fired the county manager late Thursday night.

The vote was 3-2, with Chairman Charles Laughinghouse and District Commissioner Jim Harrell in opposition.

Three members of the commission - Dave Richard, Linda Ledbetter and Brian Tam - had wanted to fire County Manager Rhonda Poston-O’Connor last week, saying she had not kept them abreast of the county’s financial problems. But Laughinghouse and Harrell blocked the vote last week.

Poston-O’Connor left the meeting room after the vote without making any comment. She has previously said she did not believe she had done anything wrong.

The move to fire Poston-O’Connor evoked bitter feelings among the five commissioners.

Laughinghouse, who was one of three commissioners who supported Poston-O’Connor’s appointment last year, said he initially underestimated her abilities. “In my humble opinion, she has done an admirable job.”

Harrell also commended the county manager for her “hard work under difficult circumstances.”

“At this dark moment, I would like to offer encouragement to the people of Forsyth County and to staff … Come January, you’ll have a better and more professional board to work with,” Harrell said, an apparent reference to Ledbetter and Richard who leave the board in December.

Former County Commissioner Julian Bowen spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting, suggesting that dipping into reserves to fund this year’s county budget is “not that big a deal.”

“The state doesn’t have any reserves. After the next budget cycle, they’ll be broke,” Bowen said. “It’s just sad when people let their personal egos get in the way of county government, and I’m sort of disgusted with a couple of you,” Bowen said.

Commissioners have been told that without significant spending cuts, the county is facing a $6.9 million deficit.

Commissioners — including Laughinghouse — said they were surprised last month to learn that this year’s budget calls for $5 million to be taken from reserves to make ends meet.