By Katie Northcott, News Director
In a tense exchange during a Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, Mayor Joey Hobbs told Alderman Julie Anderson she had no authority to make a statement to the media on disciplinary matters.
Before the exchange, which took place on July 7, Anderson was speaking on her motion to seek mediation from the Office of Open Records Counsel in an ongoing investigation into filing a lawsuit against a Coffee County resident who had filed numerous records requests.
Find reporting on the investigation here.
“It’s also important that we treat all citizens, all employees, and others with respect, even the people we don’t agree with,” Anderson said.
Hobbs responded to Anderson’s statement that she failed to abide by those principles when she made a statement to Peterson Media Group regarding the discovery that Manchester Water & Sewer Director Lonnie Foley had held a General Manager position at a different utility while working for Manchester.
Find reporting on Foley’s alleged code violation here.
In response to Peterson Media Group’s request for comment on the situation, Anderson responded with the following statement:
“Thank you for the information and questions. During my time serving on the Manchester Water and Sewer Commission (9/24-9/25), Mr. Foley was hired and served as Assistant Director.
“At that time, I was not aware of Mr. Foley’s outside employment with another utility and would not have approved such a request. During that time, there were reports of Mr. Foley sleeping on the job, substantiated with photos in circulation of him asleep at his desk and in meetings. Former Director Perry wrote him up twice for this behavior.
“Holding two full time director/manager jobs at the same time is prohibited by our city code and employee handbook and raises questions as to whether both utilities (and their rate payers) were paying Mr. Foley for working the same hours. I haven’t spoken to any of my fellow board members about this and am only one vote/voice, but my preference would be for the city to place Mr. Foley on unpaid leave while this situation is investigated and consider beginning a search for a new director.”
At the July 7 meeting, Anderson said she had authority to voice her opinion to the media as a member of the BOMA.
“You don’t have the authority to recommend disciplinary measures,” Hobbs said.
“I have the authority to give my opinion,” Anderson said.
“You sure do, but not for discipline,” Hobbs said.
After the meeting concluded, Hobbs continued to mock Anderson, repeatedly asking her if she would be at a town hall the next day as she walked out of the room. Anderson did not respond to Hobbs’ question and did not attend the town hall the next day.
Peterson Media Group could find no clause in Manchester Municipal Code sections 4-232 and 4-233, which govern the disciplinary action and dismissal of city personnel, or Title 1 Chapter 1, which governs the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, that would prohibit an alderman from giving an opinion on disciplinary action. The code is posted on the Municipal Technical Advisory Service’s website and was last updated in August 2024.
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