Posted on 05/23/2005 12:17:20 PM PDT by hdrabon
The city of Monroe agreed to pay former city manager Doug Spell more than $100,000 following his sudden decision to quit Wednesday, records show.
Following Spell's abrupt resignation and the City Council's acceptance, city attorney Terry Sholar hammered out a settlement agreement that provides Spell the exact compensation that he would have received had he remained employed until his employment contract expired in December. Although Spell submitted a formal resignation, terms of the settlement confirm that he was fired. The council unanimously, though Mayor Judy Davis and Spell were absent, accepted Spell's resignation during a special meeting Wednesday that was continued from Tuesday. Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Davis did not support the council's decision to fire Spell. City officials have been unable to provide an official explanation for Davis' absence from Wednesday's meeting.
Terms of the settlement require that Spell continue to be paid his $127,504 annual salary bi-weekly through December. If Spell remains quiet about why he was terminated or refrains from making disparaging comments about the city, he will receive a lump sum payment equal to three months compensation, or about $32,000. Council members are also required to refrain from making critical comments about Spell's character.
The city is also required to pay Spell a $500-per-month car allowance which is paid bi-weekly. Spell is also to receive health benefits for he and his family, state retirement and 401K contributions, and accrued annual leave, as well as other membership expenses.
Another term of the settlement is a "covenant not to sue" wherein Spell is prohibited from filing a lawsuit.
Additional references within the agreement suggest that Spell's departure was forced. Only days prior to the announcement, the council had shown full support of Spell's abilities, including a favorable performance evaluation as recently as March 24.
Spell requires the council to refer to the evaluation and his overall accomplishments over his four and one-half years as city manager when future employers inquire.
Spell's employment contract called for a severance package of six months salary in the event he was involuntarily terminated before its expiration (Nov. 7, 2005). A resignation would have forfeited any compensation. The contract also called for a three-month notice before leaving unless otherwise agreed by all parties. The settlement acknowledges that the lack of notice was mutual and not a negative reflection of Spell's professionalism.
Spell, council members, and Davis have not returned repeated telephone calls.
Also, it is interesting to note that the Enquirer-Journal HAS NOT addressed the issue of Mayor Judy Davis actually having her residence in Florida for some time now, at the grace of this same unconstitutional/anti-Freedom of Information Act City Council.
The brilliant OUTSIDE grifter (attorney) left the door open to extreme rumor. More of our good tax money gone.
Why do you suppose that the Enquirer-Journal will not print all the facts that are generally known?
Hubert D. Rabon
Would would those "allegedly" be?
Well, uh, one would be the issue of an OUTSIDE attorney doing the arrangement. By OUTSIDE, do you suppose they took up a collection at the city council to pay the OUTSIDE attorney? Do you suppose that it means that the attorney was ouside the door of city hall.
Another is the Judy Davis residence thing. This is not unknown around the right circles in the community.
One can only guess that there is more. This is enough to prove the EJ to be nothing more than a disingenuous fact managing organ, or that the journalism is certainly not very adept.
Of course, the EJ hopes that no-one is really looking. . . . HDR
Umm... what does all that mean? Is this about corruption? murder? sexual dalliances? Hush money for what?
Come on, HDR, spill the beans! This is getting extremely frustrating!
The OUTSIDE grifter (attorney) setup the unconstitutional agreement in such a way that nobody may ever know what this is about, even though this is a public issue with public money. It could be a menage de trois on the city hall steps between the mayor, the city manager, and Councilman Billy Jordan, and the brilliantly contrived "arrangement" does not even permit any of those three to DENY such an incredible the allegation!
And to top it off, the city council just days before approved a tax increase that was brought forth by the city manager! This here is crazyville! HDR
I own my home in the city with my wife, and we're getting screwed like everybody else. I'm not quite certain I know anything, but I DO know that almost everything about this does not feel right. . . HDR
No argument with that! But *somebody* knows ... I sure wish they would talk.
If the E.J. was what it SHOULD be, the phones would be melted at city hall today. Somebody knows, but the inspiration to spill the beans has not come.
What we really need is for federal intervention :^) HDR
Well, I think we just found the plot for Chinatown 2.
Cute, but you only have a portion of the plot. Thank you for your interest. Don't you have more important things to do for "the cause" than try to undermine my insanity?
Sorry, but in general these facts don't add up to anything other than a "golden parachute".
What we need is an investigative reporter with some local connections, some cash to loosen tongues, and a desire to Hit the Big Time (because he'd never dare to show his face in Monroe again).
As it stands, this is something people will learn the truth about 50 years from now, when they read their grandparents' diaries :-).
There's something really explosive being covered up ... we can sort of smell it - between the wafts of brush burning, and the aroma of chicken farms - even though I'm a few miles up the U.S. Highway from Monroe.
How are things in VAB? We lived there from 1978 to 1986. Is Meyera still mayor? I went to school with her daughter, Marcie. ("Local connections" illustration :-) ... and my mom knows all kinds of stuff :-).
yes, she's still mayor. Doing pretty well. Taxes go up a little, but no surprise there. If you see what's the story behind this, let us know.
I'd love to know, but nothing has leaked this far, yet. I have some connections through the Girl Scout Leaders' Roundtable, though, so I may get it eventually.
Interesting choice of words, that. And from what I've heard, quite appropriate.
There's a time, a place, and a situation for certain activities. The City Manager made some bad choices, evidently. < /cryptic mode >
The truth will out. I find it interesting that the Enquirer-Journal would use the rather inflammatory phrase "hush money" in its headline. They're literally begging for someone to spill the beans, but for whatever reason, they don't want to do it themselves.
Probably because whoever is known to talk will be ostracised to the 3rd and 4th generation. It will have to be "unsourced" rumor, when it breaks.
Ah, those small-town values!
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