Another Demorest police employee resigns, blames city administrator for turmoil

DEMOREST, Ga. – Another longtime Demorest Police Department employee has resigned, accusing City Administrator Mark Musselwhite of bullying, threats, and micromanagement as the department continues to lose employees amid months of turmoil at City Hall.

Amy Payne, who has worked for the department since April 2017, submitted her resignation Oct. 1, telling Police Chief Casey Chastain that she intended to remain with the city until retirement. Instead, she said a September meeting involving Musselwhite and other city employees convinced her it was time to leave.

Payne’s last day is Friday, Oct. 9.

Her departure adds to a growing list of resignations from a department already struggling with staffing shortages and internal disagreements over the city’s management of its police force.

It also follows Councilman Jimmy Davis calling for Musselwhite’s resignation during a city council meeting. Davis’ motion failed to advance when no other council member seconded it, leaving the council without a vote on the proposal.

Another employee points to Musselwhite

Payne’s resignation letter offers a direct account of why she decided to leave a department where she had spent more than nine years.

“When I was hired in April 2017 it was my intent to stay in Demorest until I retired,” Payne wrote.

She identified a Sept. 3 meeting involving Musselwhite, Sam, James, Rachel, Chastain and herself as a turning point.

According to Payne, conditions within the department deteriorated following that meeting, and she began watching coworkers submit their resignations.

“During that meeting I was bullied and my position threatened by Mark (if I don’t comply and get on board other arrangements will be made),” Payne wrote.

Payne also accused Musselwhite of micromanaging department employees and said the situation had damaged morale.

“I have watched the morale of the officers go down with the micromanagement from Mark,” she wrote.

Her letter does not identify the specific instructions she was allegedly told to follow or explain what alternative arrangements Musselwhite reportedly threatened to make.

The accusations are Payne’s account of the meeting. The letter does not establish whether other participants agree with her description.

After discussing the situation with her family, Payne said she decided to leave public service altogether.

Despite her criticism of city management, Payne thanked Chastain for his support, professional development opportunities and the years they worked together.

Resignations continue to mount

Payne’s departure follows the resignations of Rachel Bryant and Edward Bush, whose departures Now Georgia previously reported as the department’s staffing situation became increasingly difficult.

Bryant was also involved in an investigation earlier this year into problems within the department.

The latest resignation adds another name to the growing list of employees who have left during the controversy.

In previous reporting, Chastain acknowledged the mounting staffing problems but said the department had continued providing police coverage without requesting assistance from neighboring agencies.

“We have not gone without coverage yet or asked for outside help,” Chastain previously told Now Georgia.

He said he had personally worked a weekend day shift to maintain coverage and had been communicating with the Habersham County sheriff about possible assistance if staffing levels continued to decline.

The chief acknowledged that outside coverage could eventually become necessary.

Payne’s resignation raises further questions about how long the department can maintain its existing coverage arrangements as experienced employees continue leaving.

Questions about Musselwhite’s authority

Musselwhite’s involvement in police department affairs has been a recurring issue in Now Georgia’s reporting on the city.

Chastain and other individuals familiar with city operations have identified Musselwhite as responsible for human resources matters. Musselwhite has also been listed as Chastain’s supervisor on the police chief’s performance evaluations.

Those arrangements have placed Musselwhite at the center of disagreements over department management and employee supervision.

Payne’s letter now adds a firsthand allegation that Musselwhite’s conduct contributed directly to another employee’s decision to resign.

The controversy has also reached the Demorest City Council.

During a council meeting, Councilman Jimmy Davis called for Musselwhite to resign. However, the proposal did not receive a second from another council member, so it could not move forward to a vote.

Without a second, the council did not formally decide whether Musselwhite should remain in his position.

A department facing more uncertainty

Payne’s resignation is particularly notable because she said she had planned to finish her career with Demorest.

Instead, she described an environment where tensions had increased, coworkers were leaving, and the department’s direction no longer matched the career she had envisioned.

“This is not the direction/path I want to be part of,” Payne wrote.

Her letter makes clear that her departure was not simply a move to another law enforcement agency. She said she intended to step away from public service altogether.

For Demorest residents, the continued departures raise practical questions about police staffing, employee retention, and the city’s ability to provide consistent law enforcement coverage.

Chastain has previously said he has a contingency plan involving the sheriff’s office if additional coverage becomes necessary.

Payne’s final day is Oct. 9, bringing another departure from a department where the dispute over city management remains unresolved.