Fayette City Administrator Tyler Griffith has taken a three-week leave of absence. He made the announcement through a letter addressed to Fayette Community Members, printed on City of Fayette letterhead, and posted to his personal Facebook page.

“I’m sad to inform the community of Fayette that due to health reasons I will be taking the next 3 weeks away from City Hall,” Mr. Griffith wrote. The letter goes on to say that while he has enjoyed his 10 months in the community, coming into the job the odds were stacked against him. He wrote that the city has been deteriorating for years because of the lack of capital infrastructure investments, and cited that not long before he was hired the city had been slapped with a $150,000 tax fine because of “lack of oversight on the local level.”

“That was not why this role fitted my experiences this was seen as a huge opportunity to do the right thing and help others,” he wrote.

The letter and Facebook post has since been removed.

Mr. Griffith was absent from City Hall all last week and did not attend the June 8 city council meeting, allegedly due to illness. He wrote in the letter that he would return to work on Monday, July 5.

Mr. Griffith declined to provide further comment when contacted by this newspaper.

The timing of Mr. Griffith’s absence comes at a precarious time for the city. The fiscal year 2021 budget must be completed and passed by the city council before July 1. As the City Administrator, Mr. Griffith is expected to lead the budget process.

“The city is aware of the city administrator’s leave of absence and will continue to operate during his absence,” said Mayor Kevin Oeth on Monday. “This is a personnel matter and we are unable to give further comment. Rest assured the city will continue to operate in its normal capacity.”

The Board of Aldermen met in closed session Monday evening, but the city has made no further statements.

Mr. Griffith signed a two-year contract with the city on July 15, 2020, and began work on July 27.

A copy of Mr. Griffith’s letter as it appeared on Facebook appears on Page 4 of this newspaper.