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Harry Jones interviewed

Harry Jones

interviewed after

Forum presentation

 

Nov. 26, 2013

Read story at Observer; at QCityMetro

By The Charlotte Observer � November 27, 2013
By David Perlmutt | The Charlotte Observer

Former Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones said Tuesday he�s still pondering a run for a seat on county commission � the board that fired him in May � but it may not be his decision.

It will likely be his wife Becky�s.

�I haven�t dismissed it yet,� Jones said after speaking at the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Forum, the weekly group discussion about issues facing Charlotte�s African Americans.

�I have people encouraging me and I�m still processing it. My family is still against it. But I do know my wife is the type of person who will look at it one day soon and could say, �I think you�re needed.� If she gets to that particular point, I�m in.�

Harry JonesJones was invited to the breakfast forum to talk about what he�s been doing since his job as county manager ended in early May.

He talked about his pancreatic cancer that he was diagnosed with in December 2011 � and that he says is in remission. He said his most recent CT scan showed no cancer.

Jones arrived at the meeting walking on a cane, which he told the forum had nothing to do with his cancer, but a pinched nerve in his back.

He also talked about how the cancer forced him to look at his faith, and led him away from being a �faith liar� to become more devout.

He�s also hit the road to speak about his cancer and the power of faith, and he�s started Harry Jones Consulting, offering his experience as a government manager or to train fledgling managers and other leaders.

�I was freed�

Though he repeated he�s �at peace� with the county commission terminating his contract, he did have harsh words for board Chair Pat Cotham, who spearheaded the termination.

Since the public firing, the county�s been run by interim manager Bobbie Shields. Meanwhile, the board will consider a list of six candidates for a new manager.

Jones referred to a story in Tuesday�s Observer about an effort to challenge Cotham as chairperson. The story said that Cotham counts Jones� removal as one of the examples of her �positive leadership.�

�When I read in the paper this morning that it appears (Cotham) gets some joy out of the fact that she led the effort to fire me, I have some problems with that,� Jones told the forum. �Whenever you suggest you get some enjoyment out of affecting someone else�s life, then it raises serious concerns about whether or not you�re fit to be a leader.�

Jones said the board didn�t fire him, it �freed� him.

�I was freed from a dysfunctionality that was masquerading as public service,� he said. �I�ve run public organizations since I was 27 years old and I have had to terminate a number of employees. I never got any pleasure out of firing anybody.�

Cotham said Tuesday the firing brought her no joy. �There was no high-fiving going on. It was not a joyful experience,� she said. �I was not happy that state law demanded that it be done in such a public way. We legally terminated without cause. If people are upset, blame the state � not me.�

�A different perspective�

Robin Bradford, chair of Mecklenburg�s Democratic Party, said Tuesday that she believes Jones wants to run, �but his family and health are an issue for him.�

She said she and Jones attend the same church and have talked about the prospect.

�Harry�s been political his whole career and I think he still has a little bite for it,� Bradford said. �It�s still stressful (serving on the board) and it�s stressful for no money, compared to what he was making on the other side.�

She said Commissioner Jones would bring �a different perspective� to the board.
As county manager, she said, he built relationships in the business community �that he would bring to the table for the whole county.�

�It would be interesting, the dynamics of serving with some commissioners who fired you,� Bradford continued. �And if he got a majority of the vote, he could end up being the chair. There�d be a new county manager to spice up things. You�d have the makings of a best-seller, or pilot for a TV show.�
Jones said he wouldn�t run out of spite.

�A decision to run for an elected position should be made on whether you can bring value,� he said. �I would not make my decision based upon anything that�s happened to me. It�d be that I could provide good leadership and bring some knowledge to the intricate workings of county government.�