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The following is Gregory Stallworth’s resignation letter that was sent to the Clarksville Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and attorney Bradley Gilmore on Jan. 19:
A few minutes ago, as a clergy guided by the Lord, I woke up with the silent voice of almighty God in my inaudible ear. Hence, I have decided to heed his warning and resign immediately as a commissioner of the Clarksville Housing Authority.
Although one of the two resolutions, which were drafted by attorney Brad Gilmore and passed by us as a corporate body, will likely be effective in the long-term, it does not sufficiently resolve the immediate problem of the current excessive, possibly unlawful, salary of Executive Director Dawn Sanders Garrett.
As I explained last evening during the meeting, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), it is unlawful to pay any public housing authority salary greater than $164,200 per employee. Despite the rationale carefully written in the resolution from last evening’s meeting to my knowledge, this law does not allow or incorporate arbitrary exceptions for situations declared as an administrative crisis or emergency.
As you may or may not know, I was not a Clarksville Housing Authority Commissioner when Ms. Garrett was hired in the fall of 2020, and I did not have input in the decision to pay her at a rate of $20,000 per month, which has now significantly increased to as much as $5,000 to $9,600 more per month, which, based on what I discovered last evening at the meeting, is all paid from Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance and Section 9 public housing capital and operating funds.
I have heard the history pertaining to a former administrative crisis or emergency, which has been used to attempt to rationalize and justify her rate of pay as being competitive and commensurate with her knowledge, skills and abilities. However, I think after 26 months of her current tenure, the administrative crisis or emergency is now overcome, or at her lofty rate of pay, it should be.
Unfortunately, her original role as a 90-day consultant to serve an expert public housing authority executive to help the Clarksville Housing Authority overcome its former mismanagement has led to her being treated as full-time employee. Specifically, she has now served as the executive director for 26 months and counting at salary rate that far exceeds the law stipulated by HUD.
As an introductory explanation to this law, HUD’s “Public Housing Agency Executive Compensation – CY2018” says, “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is committed to providing transparency around public housing agency (PHA) executive compensation compliance with the strategy cap on use of certain federal funds for salaries and bonuses. The 2018 Appropriations Act for HUD prohibited the use of Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance and Section 9 public housing capital and operating funds appropriations to pay any public housing authority (PHA) salary greater than $164,200 per employee. Federal law stipulates that any amount of salary and bonus above $164,200 per employee must be paid for with other funds.”
Although I feel very fortunate and grateful to have served as a Clarksville Housing Authority commissioner, under the circumstances, I am compelled to resign immediately. Although I realize Ms. Garrett is officially a contractor, she is being treated by definition of the law as an employee. Therefore, it could be justly perceived that her quasi/de facto status as contractor/employee is a deliberate attempt to undermine and circumvent HUD’s lawful policy of salary caps for executives. Hence, in good conscience, I will not participate. In theory, if a fine is levied against us as a corporate body that has been knowingly complicit in violating federal law, it could mean the necessity of paying restitution from our personal assets, if we have no personal liability insurance that would possibly protect and cover such.
It’s my understanding that Ms. Garrett may remain under the same contract until October of 2023, which is much too long. As I initially believed and articulated at the first Clarksville Housing Authority meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, her contract and her acting as the executive director needs to stop immediately.
Gregory P. Stallworth