Special Reports
Should the Pacolet administration have a do-over?
Pacolet, SC — As we shared in our previous articles, when the Pacolet Town Administrator left one of his prior jobs as Executive Director of the Manistee Main Street Downtown Development Authority (“DDA”) in Manistee, MI, it was the first issue I discovered in my research. It was here that I found the Separation Agreement and General Release. (which doesn’t sound at all like a normal resignation).
Patrick Kay introduces himself at the council meeting, 12-3-2013:
I learned long ago that when dealing with governmental issues, especially small towns, and their administrative employees and elected officials, there is more information to be found to let you know if there’s something to pursue, first by checking out the minutes of their council meetings and such. That’s usually a true starting place. However, the smaller towns usually don’t have as much information archived and may not go back to earlier years as far as larger towns and cities. That’s normally due to a lack of money and or technology. Sometimes both.
From the minutes of a council meeting on October 15, 2013, in Middletown, Ohio, where Kay was Executive Director of DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN INC, we see a brief mention of Patrick Kay leaving this job after a little less than 2 years. Not a lot said, so evidently it was a very mutual parting. (Page 4 below – highlighted in yellow)
As you can see above, the new job in Michigan was more of the same. A short stay and an early departure. And a separation agreement. When this traveling administrator was employed in Griffin, GA. before he came to Pacolet, it was rinse and repeat. Not only was there news in the local paper there, it even managed a Tweet:
And a blurb from the Griffin Daily News:
And now, we’re seeing the same kind of drama with the same pattern of disregard that seems to have followed this guy from town to town, and with documentation all along the way. As they say, once, it’s a mistake. Twice, a coincidence. Three times, it’s a pattern!
More to follow as information is compiled. Prayers for all of you who are having to put up with this mess in Pacolet.