NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. -  Anthony Avery, former director of the Newton County Recreation Commission, has turned down more than one settlement offer from the county after his termination late last year.

That's according to records obtained by The Covington News Monday evening.

On Jan. 10 Jarrard & Davis, the law firm representing the county, sent Avery’s attorney, Stephanie Lindsey of The Lindsey Firm, a settlement offering Avery the following:

• Four years of severance paid at his current salary (approximately $70,408 annually)
  
• One-year of health insurance provided by the county (which is a benefit with an estimated value of more than $13,000)
  
• A separation agreement and release of claims between the county and Avery.

The offer was valid through 5 p.m. Jan. 19. Lindsay’s response to the offer was not included in the more than 600-page document provided to The News on Jan. 22.

Avery has previously demanded a cash settlement of $750,000 and a public apology from the county after his Nov. 27, 2017 termination, according to the document.

Previously, the county had offered Avery a settlement similar to the Jan. 10 offer, but with only three years of severance at his current salary, according to a Dec. 21 correspondence from Jarrard & Davis. That settlement was rejected Dec. 27.

Avery was terminated by an unanimous vote by NCRC after being offered the opportunity to resign from his position. According to a Nov. 28 memorandum from Newton County Human Resources Director Keyra Frey, Avery was put on administrative leave with pay following the termination vote.

Avery was hired by the county in 1995 as the adult athletics coordinator for NCRC. He was covered under the county's civil service personnel policies. 

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The Covington News filed an updated records request Jan. 23 asking for more recent correspondence between the attorneys. The original request was sent to County Clerk Jackie Smith Jan. 11 and the requested documents were received Jan. 22.