Dismissal is pending hearing scheduled for Aug. 24
BAKERSVILLE – Steps to dismiss Mitchell County Department of Social Services Director Sara Ross have been approved by the DSS Board.
Ross’s dismissal is pending a formal dismissal hearing on Monday, Aug. 24.
In a special session on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 18, the DSS Board approved a motion made by Jeff Harding to approve the steps.
Harding, Matthew “Vern” Grindstaff, Jacob Willis and Steve Pitman voted for and Danny Burleson was not present.
Willis did not raise his hand to vote for or against the motion but by North Carolina General Statutes, a no vote is considered a yes vote in the official meeting minutes.
The decision comes after an investigation into Ross’s conduct regarding possible contracts with an outside IT company and possibly violating county personnel policy by providing DSS employees with an extra paid leave day during the Independence Day holiday.
Ross was placed on investigative leave on Monday, Aug. 3 during the board’s regular session until the investigation could be completed by County Manager Tim Greene.
In a closed session before the special session on Aug. 18, Greene presented his findings from the investigation, which have yet to be disclosed. Following the closed session, Harding made a motion to begin the steps of dismissing Ross.
“I move that subject to the holdings of a pre-dismissal conference and receiving the report of the conferences that Sara Ross be dismissed as Director of the Mitchell County Department of Social Services and that the board adopt the incorporated findings and facts made from the facts as the basis for pre-dismissal,” Harding said.
Ross was not at the Aug. 18 meeting but will have an opportunity to speak during the pre-dismissal conference on Monday, Aug. 24 at 8 a.m.
County Attorney Lloyd Hise said Ross or any DSS employees could not be present during the Aug. 18 closed session.
Pitman and Grindstaff will conduct the pre-dismissal conference in the County Administration Building in Bakersville.
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Note: This is an ongoing story. Updates will provided as we obtain more information.