Election Commission Fires, Settles With Administrator
Administrator Hooper Penuel
When Republicans gained control of the General Assembly last year, they also gained control of the Rutherford County Election Commission, as well as all others throughout Tennessee. Located in Murfreesboro, the Rutherford County Election Commission now is comprised of three Republicans and two Democrats.
Traditionally, the votes on appointments of all sorts break along Party lines, so it was little surprise that the three Republican commissioners voted to search for a replacement for sitting administrator Hooper Penuel, while the two Democrats opposed.
What followed, however, while not actually surprising, certainly was unusual: Penuel filed a federal lawsuit against the Commission, claiming that they did not have the right to fire him without cause, this in a state with at-will labor laws.
The County Commission, a non-partisan-elected, twenty-one member body, also was split by the issue, voting thirteen-to-eight to settle with Penuel. The sitting Administrator will receive $7,500 as settlement, but the county will be out a total of $32,500 as part of the settlement put the burden of covering court costs on the County.
Now that those court costs have been paid, Penuel has submitted his letter of resignation, which reads in part “I wish whoever may be lucky enough to succeed me the most sincere best wishes as he or she carries the substantial burdens of this office with the integrity it so rightfully deserves.”
Commissioners voting for the settlement were: Doug Shafer, Jack Black, Carol Cook, Gary Farley, Steve Sandlin, Anthony Johnson, Mike Sparks, Rick Hall, Adan Coggin, Jeff Phillips, Joyce Ealy, Trey Gooch and D.C. “Jim” Daniel.
Commissioners voting against were: Will Jordan, Robert Peay Jr., Joe Frank Jernigan, Ronald Williams, Allen McAdoo, Bob Bullen, John Rodgers and Jeff Jordan.
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Posted by RussJohnson
on May 21 2010. Filed under Murfreesboro Government, Murfreesboro Politics.
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