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Published Sunday, October 25, 2009 in Local

Moonshine arrest mars search for public works director

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Times-Herald

Meriwether County's commissioners are set to hire a new public works director Tuesday, but Commissioner Larry Whitlock is worried the vote will be to rehire the former director, who was fired after being arrested with moonshine.

"He abused his authority and power out there at the public works camp," said Whitlock, who took office in January.

Whitlock said Carter Hudson had been public works director for just over a year before he was arrested in April.

According to Whitlock, Hudson "made a deal with a subordinate" who had access to bootleg whiskey. Whitlock said Hudson made the arrangements and paid for the illegal liquor at the public works camp during a work day.

He also alleges Hudson and another commissioner served moonshine to public works employees at their Thanksgiving luncheon last year.

Whitlock said that, in the April incident, Hudson arranged to pick up the moonshine outside of work. Someone witnessed the agreement and reported it to the Meriwether County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office investigated, and Hudson was arrested with the illegal liquor in his car, Whitlock said.

However, the misdemeanor moonshine charge was not why Hudson was fired, Whitlock said. "He was fired for the violations of county policy."

According to Whitlock, Hudson's termination papers listed several violations, including violating the ethics policy and policies regulating behavior that "interferes with" county operations, "discredits the county, or that offends citizens or coworkers."

Additionally, Whitlock alleges that Hudson unlawfully used county inmate crews on private property.

Whitlock claims that Commission Chairman Charles Neely will rehire Hudson because they are friends.

"I am really disappointed he would bring that up right now," Neely said on Friday.

Neely said fellow commissioners had put him and Whitlock in charge of assessing candidates for the public works director position. If the two men can't come to an agreement on the best candidate, the decision will go before the whole commission for a vote Tuesday night.

"We were asked to do it, and that is what we are in the process of doing," Neely said. He said he and Whitlock had interviewed five candidates already and were preparing to interview another candidate late Friday.

When asked if Hudson is a friend of his, Neely confirmed he is a friend. But, he added, so are all the other applicants.

Neely said he found it "sad" that Whitlock would contact the press about the issue. "I'm sorry that came out, because we don't need that kind of publicity in Meriwether County," Neely said.

Whitlock said he doesn't feel Hudson needs to be brought back, because "Meriwether County is strapped financially, the roads are not impassible, and public works is getting handled."

The commission meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Meriwether County Courthouse in Greenville. Whitlock said he hopes enough people will show up so that the meeting will be moved to the courtroom.