The City of Decherd’s City Administrator, Mary Hanson Aveni, left her job effective Friday, December 15, 2023, after serving for less than six weeks in her new role.
Two Aldermen and Mayor Mary Nell Hess signed a document on December 15 to remove Aveni from the position. The document stated four reasons the city administrator was being terminated. #1 Failure to assume all responsibilities of the role of city administrator. #2 Failure to keep city spending to a minimum until the 2022 audit is completed and the Comptroller has approved the 2024 budget. #3 Failure to adequately explain the ramifications of the e-mail change from GoDaddy hosting to Microsoft and the lack of board approval to make the change contractually without making clear the cost of such change. #4 Deciding to change IT contractor without explaining to the Decherd Board of Mayor and Alderman the significant increase in the cost of such change.
Mayor Hess signed the document along with Vice Mayor Larry Fraley and Alderman Glenn Summers. They dated approving the termination on 12/17/2023, but Aveni was fired on December 15. Alderman Justin Stubblefield and Schuler Hopkins claim they did not receive notification until the day after Aveni left.
Stubblefield has stated that the abrupt way that the dismissal occurred could possibly be a violation of the Sunshine Act.
