Toccoa Commissioner Responds to Firing Allegations

By Charlie Bauder, WNEG Radio, Toccoa

Toccoa City Commissioner Ron Seib says accusations that he and Commissioner Andy Pavilscsak are responsible for the firing of former City Manager Mike Jackson are untrue.

 Jackson was let go two weeks ago after a unanimous vote by the Toccoa City Commission.   The commission is hoping to hire Franklin County manager Billy Manager, who served as Toccoa City Manager until 2009.

At their regular meeting Monday evening, Seib said he felt obligated to respond because of the level of innuendo and untruth in the media last week.

Seib also took issue with Jackson’s claims that he and Vice Mayor Andy Pavliscsak, two outgoing commissioners, led a campaign for his termination.

According to Seib, he and Pavliscsak told the other commissioners because of their short remaining time on the commission; they felt it would be more appropriate for them to take a back seat on this decision.

“Throughout the process, from Commissioner Carter’s decision to reach out and contact an outside city manager candidate so that the community and media would better accept a change, to the Mayor’s exact timing as to when and how he would hold each called Executive Session while providing no communication to the commission as a whole, to the Mayor and Commissioner Carter’s insistence on meeting with Mr. Jackson in private rather than through our attorney or commission as a whole, Commissioners Fry, Pavliscsak, and I simply followed their lead.”

Seib also said it is unfortunate that comments made by two fellow city commissioners regarding Jackson’s termination appear to be politically motivated.

Seib concluded by stating that during his tenure as a city commissioner, he always tried to do the right thing and never tried to influence a management decision for personal gain.

Following his remarks, Commissioner Gayle Fry re-affirmed the decision of the commission to fire Mike Jackson as City Manager was unanimous.