The Housing Authority of Clayton County reversed its decision Tuesday to suspend its executive director to allow him time to rectify a violation of his employment contract.
Wade Starr was suspended last week indefinitely and without pay after housing authority board members learned he had accepted a $3,000-a-month consulting job with the county without their prior approval. By not getting the board's o.k, Starr breached his contract.
Starr responded by calling for the county commission to remove the three board members who voted to suspend him from his $77,000-a-year housing authority job saying they ignored the authority attorney’s advice about the suspension.
“The housing authority attorney’s legal opinion was that the consulting arrangement does not presenta conflict. Therefore,I would hope the board would reconsider its position and cure the breach by voting to allow me to continue my consulting role with the county,” Starr said Tuesday. Starr has been executive director at the housing authority since April 2014. Starr informed the housing authority on June 28 he had the consulting job.
Meanwhile, the lone board member who voted Tuesday against rescinding Starr’s suspension called the board’s decision “hideous.”
“We missed the mark by having the opportunity to terminate his contract but didn’t do it,” board member Michael Bryant said. During Tuesday’s special-called meeting, Bryant brought up the idea of paying Starr the rest of his contract to get rid of him. The board did not go for that idea. Instead, it is giving Starr a month to decide whether to resign from the housing authority or end his contract with the county or get the board’s permission to continue as a consultant, board chairwoman Tonya Clarke said. Getting the board’s blessing could be a challenge since some board members have expressed concern with Starr’s arrangement with the county. The board voted 3-2 last week to suspend Starr. Thus, it could come down to Starr having to choose between the two positions.
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