Forrest Gets $80,000 Payoff

Secretive Decision OK’d in 3 to 1 Vote

By Kenneth Rossignol
ST. MARY'S TODAY
   LEONARDTOWN - (Jan. 25, 2007) ST. MARY’S TODAY has learned that the departure of St. Mary’s County Administrator George Forrest is more than a simple retirement. Forrest is walking away from his contract with the county 6 months early for a handsome payoff.
   Instead of working until June when his contract expires, retired Army Colonel Forrest will take $80,000 to stay home. Forrest has been with the county eight years in three different capacities.
   The decision to pay Forrest to stay home comes with the swearing-in of the new board of commissioners, who are reviewing the contracts of every department head. All contracts end  in June.
   The decision came during a budget session on Monday, a meeting that Commissioner Dan Raley (D-Great Mills) did not attend.
   Commissioner Tom Mattingly (D-Leonardtown) made the motion, which was seconded by Kenny Dement (R-Piney Point). Only Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R-Golden Beach) voted against the payoff.
   Jarboe told ST. MARY’S TODAY he voted against the measure because he doesn’t agree with “paying someone for not working.”
   The county spun the entire situation as a simple retirement while the board has decided to buyout Forrest and hire a new administrator who is not a crony of former Commissioner president Tommy McKay.
   The entire situation reeks of the need for a law that prohibits the board of commissioners from signing contracts for administrators and department heads beyond their own term in office.
   The county just paid $408,000 to former county administrator Al Lacer, because he was canned by the board before his contract ended in a move led by McKay to install Forrest in the position.
   When Lacer was hired, the county dished out a $100,000 payoff to the previous administrator Mortimer Smedley, whose contract was also ended early.
   Maryland Senator Roy Dyson has told ST. MARY’S TODAY that he will be submitting legislation to the assembly this year seeking to prevent commissioner board from signing contract that extend beyond their term. The legislation would allow boards to retain former administrators.