Hedley city employees all resign

Hedley citizens crowded into City Hall there Monday night for a called meeting of the Board of Aldermen after all three city employees turned in their resignations last week.

Alderman Tonya Metcalf told the Enterprise Tuesday that City Secretary Randy Shaw announced his resignation during the regular board meeting July 1 and that Shaw’s wife, City Clerk Rhonda; and city maintenance worker Roger Hagar also resigned.

The resignations take effect at the end of this month, Metcalf said. She hoped Shaw would reconsider his decision.

“City Secretary sounds like someone who sits in a chair all day,” Metcalf said. “Randy does not sit in a chair.”

Metcalf said Shaw writes grants for the city, picks up the trash, holds two state licenses to operate the water and sewer system, maintains the roads, cares for the fire station and the cemetery, and does even more than that.

“You can’t find someone to do all he does,” she said. “If a waterline breaks in the middle of winter, he’s the one with a shovel fixing it.”

More than 20 residents turned out in a show of support for Shaw and his wife at Monday’s meeting. Mayor Dusty Wilkinson opened the meeting with comments from the audience. Both men and women voiced their sincere appreciation for Mr. and Mrs. Shaw’s outstanding job performances for nearly 19 years and asked Mr. Shaw and his wife to reconsider their resignations.

Mayor Wilkinson asked Mr. Shaw what it would take to get him to continue in his position, but Shaw told the Enterprise Tuesday that his mind was made up.

“I’m resigning to look for other employment,” Shaw said. “According to the last election, the people of Hedley are looking for change, and this seems like the right time for me to make a transition.”

Shaw said he appreciated the comments that were made Monday night but also said he had determined that it is “just time to make a change.”

“I’m not giving up on Hedley,” Shaw said. “I’ve told them I will stay on until August 1 full time and that I can stay on part time after that to help train my replacement.”

Metcalf said the city will take applications through July 15 for all three positions and said another board meeting is scheduled for July 16 to review the applications.