In a special called meeting Friday at 3 p.m. Fort Oglethorpe mayor Lynn Long mixed things up in what councilman Earl Gray described as “a sad day for the city”. Two closed meetings were held to discuss personnel issues. The first concluded with city manager Ron Goulart giving his resignation.

“Through no fault of my own, I am submitting my letter of resignation,” Goulart said when the meeting started. Goulart has worked as city manager in Fort Oglethorpe for six years and was not ready to leave, he said. “I can count the votes. I thought I would make it easier on everyone.”

After hearing the resignation by Goulart, Long suggested appointing Harold Silcox as an interim city manager. The motion to appoint Silcox received the needed three votes, constituting a majority, from councilmen Louis Hamm, Johnny Smith and Clay Kissner –sworn into office just an hour prior to the meeting.

The council adjourned into another closed meeting. When they emerged with somber faces police chief David Eubanks and public works director Jeff Long were told to accompany Silcox into the mayor’s office. It was in the mayor’s office that Silcox told Eubanks and Jeff Long they were terminated immediately. After the meeting Goulart said he disagreed with loosing valuable employees. As the city manager it was his responsibility to hire and fire employees.

The reason city employees fired Jeff Long was because he, as a county commissioner, agreed to annex a piece of property into the county from the city in anticipation of the legislature approving such a measure. Eubanks was not given a reason. “I’m not happy about it and my wife isn’t going to be happy about it,” Eubanks said.