FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The Fort Valley mayor and some city council members are facing off in a public squabble over a previously fired — and then rehired — public works director.
An executive order, filed by Fort Valley Mayor Jeffery Lundy on Thursday, is a public rebuke against four members of the city's own council. It also accuses the city councilors of abusing their power.
The dispute centers on one former city employee: Vernon Bernard Kendrick.
According to the executive order, Kendrick was fired as the city of Fort Valley's public works director. He appealed the termination and, in December 2023, the city upheld its decision to fire Kendrick.
That is until new city council members rolled into city hall.
At the first city council meeting of the year on Jan. 18, new council members Laronda Eason, Sandra Marshall, Henry Howard and long-time councilwoman Juanita Bryant voted to rehire Kendrick.
Kendrick would return to work only four days later, the order says.
The executive order alleges the effort to rehire Kendrick was "a political move that involves special relationship, and conflict of interest," but it does not describe the alleged relationship between the councilmembers and Kendrick.
But, at its core, the executive order blocks Kendrick's rehiring, using the mayor's executive powers to stop it.
The order required Kendrick to "leave the Public Works Department immediately" or face a criminal trespassing charge, but Lundy also threatened to fine the council members and remove them from office for abuse of power.
That would have to go through the court system but, if found guilty, the council members could be fined up to $500 and be removed from their post.
Lundy's order also claims that Kendrick had not completed the necessary application paperwork. However, the order says the council members let him return to work regardless.
"Vernon Bernard Kendrick was given the opportunity by Councilwoman Bryant, Eason and Howard to go to work without following rules of the Fort Valley Personnel Manual, which is abusing their authority as an elected official," the order reads.
It also said that the council members "do not have the authority to involve themselves in daily operations or override the authority of the City Administrator in carrying out his duties and responsibilities."
The man at the center of the dispute, Kendrick, has had an interesting past himself.
Prior to being hired in Fort Valley, Kendrick pleaded guilty in the U.S. Middle District of Georgia for allegedly stealing from the city of Americus, where he was their public works director. In court documents, they found Kendrick was required to pay the city just under $240,000 in restitution.
The executive order does not make clear what led to Kendrick's original firing in Fort Valley. He was fired from the city last year.
But the order represents a very public breakdown between members of the city council and Lundy.
The executive order alleges that members of the council told all Fort Valley City employees to go behind the back of the city's administrator and instead report to Economic Development Director Gary Lee.
That document was signed by Councilwoman Bryant, Eason and Marshall along with Councilman Howard, but the executive order calls the council member's actions an "abuse of power and authority."
"Gary Lee serves only in the role as the economic development [director] and not as assistant to the City Administrator," the order states.
Instead, Lundy ordered employees to follow the city's chain of command as outlined in the city's personnel manual.
According to an agenda published on the city's Facebook page, the city council looked at City Administrator James Woods' contract at its Jan. 18 meeting. It is unclear what happened because the minutes are not published on the city's website.
What comes next for the city of Fort Valley's public works department is also unclear.
We reached out to both Lundy and Kendrick for comment. They both did not get back to us.
The executive order notes that any appeals over the legality of Lundy's executive order can be litigated through the Superior Court of Fort Valley. But at this time, no lawsuits have been filed because of the executive order.