Meck County Refuses To Release Grayce Crockett Agreement

Mecklenburg County government is refusing to release the resignation agreement with former Mental Health Director Grayce Crockett. The Charlotte Observer filed a public records request for the document, but county attorney Tyrone Wade says it's not public information because it's part of Crockett's personnel file, the Observer reports. Crockett announced her resignation in December after a federal audit found her department mismanaged a housing program for the mentally ill. She received $99,329.18 upon her resignation, but the county failed to disclose that $63,000 of it was a negotiated legal settlement. Instead, Wade told the Observer the $99,000 reflected "vacation and accrued sick time." It was only after further questioning from Observer reporter Ames Alexander that the county acknowledged the settlement. The Observer now wants details of that agreement. "We believe this document, on its face, is a public record. It is a public record because it is a contract that explains the final terms of Grayce Crockett's employment with Mecklenburg County," said Editor Rick Thames.