WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Warner Robins' Development Director Gary Lee got the all-clear to return to work Monday.
After he was criminally indicted late last month, his boss Mayor Randy Toms suspended him without pay until the case was resolved.
Lee appealed the suspension.
Toms, who typically presides over appeal hearings, recused himself to avoid any conflict of interest.
Mayor Pro Tem Keith Lauritsen ran the hearing last week and after weighing the case for several days, released a statement Monday detailing his decision.
In it, Lauritsen said, "After careful and prayerful consideration I have come to the decision to reinstate Gary Lee to active service with pay."
He went on to say he thinks it's in the best interest of the city to keep Lee at work until the criminal case is resolved.
Mayor Toms, who handed down the initial suspension, wasn't happy with that decision.
"I did think the right thing to do was suspend him, and that's why I did it," said Toms. "So that's kind of how I feel about that is that I think I did the right thing."
Over the phone Tuesday, Lauritsen said there were some elements to Lee's case that prompted his decision.
"The main reason that I made the decision that I made is I feel like there were some extenuating circumstances that led up to the event and... I don't necessarily think they were all Mr. Lee's fault," said Lauritsen.
When we pressed, however, the councilman would not say what those circumstances were.
"Not at this time," he said.
Since his decision was overruled, some have begun to say the office of the Mayor in Warner Robins doesn't have much power.
"I think there's some truth to that," said Toms.
He went on to say council, in many cases, has the ultimate say in city matters.
"If any... group of four has the votes, four or more, then they, they win the day" said Toms.
He wouldn't say outright if he was referring to a specific group of council members or speaking in general terms.
However, when asked if he feels outnumbered on council, Toms didn't hesitate: "Oh, yeah."
"I don't want to seem like I'm complaining about that, I'm not always right," said Toms. "I think that nobody's listening, nobody's talking to each other right now and at some point in order for us to move the city forward we've got to get past some of this stuff and we've got to start talking and we've got to start getting down to business but it's just not that way right now."
Gary Lee did not return WMAZ's requests for comment on this story.