County negotiating with fired animal control officer Babson
By Terry Pope
County Editor
County officials are negotiating a
deal with framer animal control su
pervisor Zelma Babson of Ash who
was fired from her job two years
ago.
The former employee’s two-year
legal struggle appears to be drawing
to a close after a State Personnel
Commission's ruling was issued two
weeks ago.
Findings indicate the county vio
lated personnel policy when Ms.
Babson was suspended and
fried from her job.
"It looks like we’re going to have
to work out a settlement," said Don
Warren, c hairman of the Brunswick
County Board of Commissioners.
"She appears to have a pretty good
defense. It would appear that there
were violations of the personnel
policy."
me Mate Personnel Commission
upheld an administrative law
judge’s decision that recommends
Ms. Babson get her job back along
with lost wages, benefits and rea
sonable attorney fees.
She was fired from her job by
health director Michael Rhodes in
1991 and appealed that action in a
closed session before the Brunswick
County Board of Health.
When the health board upheld the
decision, Ms. Babson’s attorney,
Shelia McLamb of Shallotte, carried
the apper.l to the state. An outside
law judge heard evidence for several
days from both sides before he
issued a legal opinion that Ms. Bab
son should be reinstated and given
back pay.
Interim county attorney Michael
Ramos said Monday the county is
working on a settlement and that
Ms. Babson would likely be "getting
a job" of some kind.
"The particulars haven’t been
ironed out," said Ramos.
Robert Grissett, the current animal
control supervisor, was listed for
employment in the proposed 1993
94 county budget
However, another animal control
employee was cut from the proposal
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Congressman Charlie Rose’s
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A representative from Rose’s of
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‘They're in the
driver's seat. We're
just on the road. In
every one of the
lawsuits, if people
had followed proper
procedure we
wouldn't be losing
them.'
Don Warren
County commissioner
by interim county manager John
Harvey, apparently with no explana
tion to health officials.
Dee Lee, a three-year veteran of
the animal control shelter, is
employed as a cleric typist III at a
salary of $14,467 per year.
"That position was in there in the
proposal," said Rhodes.
The health board had also ap
proved the position. He said there
has been no explanation as to why
Harvey cut it from the budget.
"I can’t speculate," Rhodes said,
when asked if it could relate to Ms.
Babson’s settlement
Ms. Lee learned her job had been
cut when she read it in a local news
paper.
"I really don’t have any comment
to make right now," said Ms. Lee.
"It’s hard enough to handle right
now."
The county has 30 days to either
comply with the State Personnel
Commission’s ruling and give Ms.
Babson another job or to ask a Supe
rior Court judge to review the case.
An appeal isn’t likely since it
would cost the county even more in
legal fees, said Warren.
"If we could reach a settlement, 1
would be agreeable to try to get off
the cheapest way we can," said War
ren.
However, a petition may be filed
to give the county more time to
work out details, added Ramos,
since the 30-day deadline is ap
proaching.
If Ms. Babson isn’t satisfied with
an offer, she can appeal the case to
Superior Court. A judge there would
not listen to new evidence but would
read over transcripts of the previous
hearing.
"They’re in the driver’s seat," said
Warren. "We’re just on the road. In
every one of the lawsuits, if people
had followed proper procedure we
wouldn’t be losing them."
There is no position for Ms. Bab
son in the current budget, added
Warren.
"Unless she takes something
similar somewhere else with a like
salary and like qualifications," he
added.
Two lawsuits were filed by former
employees against the county last
week, bringing the total to six that
are currently pending. The county
has spent $210,000 in outside at
torney fees to defend those cases,
said Ramos.
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