By Eric Curl
June 16, 2024 – Chatham County Superior Court Judge Tammy Stokes recently ruled in favor of the city of Pooler’s claim that a separation agreement with former City Manager Robert Byrd was void because it violated state law.
The order Stokes issued on May 21 stated that the agreement unlawfully bound the city council to 24 months of payments and benefits valued at more than $600,000.
In addition, Stokes ruled that a F150 Ford truck sold to Byrd as part of the agreement should have been made available through auction to the highest bidder.
Byrd’s attorney, Wiley Wasden III, submitted a notice to appeal Stokes’ rulings on June 10.
The city of Pooler had sought the court’s ruling regarding the legality of a mutual separation agreement with Byrd after it was adopted by the previous city council last December without the city attorney’s approval – a violation of the city’s charter, according to the lawsuit.
The city had claimed that Pooler City Attorney Craig Call believed the agreement was illegal because it violated the state’s gratuities clause, as previously reported.
The separation agreement included two years of salary, amounting to about $500,000, and the sale of a 2023 pickup truck for $10,000, “substantially below actual value,” according to the February complaint.
The city’s complaint further alleged that since Byrd’s employment ended with the city at the end of last year, he has received the title to the F150 truck and collected more than $50,000 in payments under the agreement.
Byrd was Pooler’s city manager for 21 years before submitting his resignation in December.
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