A small-town mayor in Georgia resigned just one week after he fired the entire police force in retaliation for “inappropriate comments” officers allegedly made about his wife.
Cohutta Mayor Ron Shinnick made no mention of the petty saga in his May 15 resignation letter and said the decision came down to spending time with relatives battling health issues.
“After careful consideration, I have decided it is time for me to step down from this role. I have family members out of town who are facing health concerns, and I must be with them at this time,” the three-term mayor wrote.
“This decision was not made lightly, but I believe it is in the best interest of both the Town and myself at this time,” he added.
Shinnick’s sudden departure came one week after he laid off all 11 officers at the Cohutta Police Department when they allegedly shared “inappropriate comments” about his spouse on Facebook.
His wife, Pam, apparently wreaked havoc during her short-lived employment as the town’s clerk. Several officers lodged formal complaints against her, and she was ultimately axed for creating a “hostile work environment.”
When Pam was let go, she allegedly retained access to personal and classified information.
“This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor — and I wholeheartedly believe that,” said one of the terminated officers, Sgt. Jeremy May, adding that they’d been assured their jobs weren’t in jeopardy for lodging complaints about the mayor’s wife.
“We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs,” he added.
The town council passed an ordinance reinstating the department and its staff two days later. Vice Mayor Shane Kornberg led the vote when Shinnick walked out of the meeting.
The council was also considering taking steps to remove Shinnick from office — before he opted to go out on his own terms.
Shinnick had three years left in his term. Kornberg will serve as interim-mayor until the council appoints a replacement, WTVC reported.
