recap the issues to this point:
* Jeff Knott was coerced into resigning against his will
* His resignation was predicated on the fraudulent statement of the mayor that a majority of the board desired his resignation
* Any discussion of requesting Knott to resign may have been in violation of Sunshine Laws.
* The mayor failed to effectively communicate the issue to the board as mandated by charter.
It would be prudent for Mayor Fitzhugh to take this situation seriously. It is not fully clear if she will suffer any official repercussions for what she has done, but what is clear is that a good deal of the public thinks that the handling of the matter smacks of underhanded politics from city leaders that have grown too big for their britches. We live in a representative democracy, however, the public's interest was not represented in this matter, because not all of their representatives were consulted and discussion allowed.
The Stewart Houston Times reported on the matter and we wanted to take a moment to discuss this situation further.
Bonnie Lill gave each side a chance to comment and those in favor of Knott's "resignation" found themselves lacking. Let us first address the use of the term "resignation." While Knott did sign a letter of resignation, he was effectively fired. He didn't want to go and did so only for fear of losing a severance package. He supports his widowed mother to some extent and being left without income and without a severance package to carry him through a job search was probably more than enough pressure for him to submit to the Mayor and Vice-Mayor's demands.
Knott was also told by the Mayor that "four of the five board members" wanted his resignation, however, the math doesn't add up given that Tim Barrow and Terry Odom are quoted as saying they had no knowledge until after Paul Berry informed them Knott had resigned. Odom stated that he thought Jeff was doing a good job and Tim Barrow said he had no problems with Jeff's work. Obviously, this was a decision made without the full board knowing and the Mayor lied to Jeff Knott.
Berry says "Jeff is a fine person…..but he resigned." Mayor Fitzhugh says "Jeff is a great guy and I wish him the best in his future endeavors. But this was best for the town and the best for him." Bagwell will not comment other than to say he resigned. If Jeff Knott is such a great guy, why ask him to resign? If the request for his departure was for just cause, then why not offer the public an explanation? If just cause existed, why is it that two aldermen were not made aware. By charter, the city administrator answers to the board and by charter, the Mayor "shall communicate any information needed, and recommend measures the mayor deems expedient to the board." So if Jeff was lacking in his performance, is it not logical to assume that Barrow and Odom, two men held in high regard in the public eye, would see this for themselves. If it was not readily apparent to the board that an issue existed, then the Mayor had the charter mandated responsibility to inform the board and recommend measures to be taken.
Since the full board was not informed and a decision to call for Jeff Knott's resignation was made outside a public meeting, the mayor has denied the constituents of Barrow and Odom's respective wards, their representation in this matter and Jeff Knott was denied procedural due process.
If you feel that something is fishy and violations have been made please contact your local representatives and let them know something needs to be done.
Remember you can make a difference at the next election by voting for the canidate you feel will represent the town of Dovers best interests and not their own
* Jeff Knott was coerced into resigning against his will
* His resignation was predicated on the fraudulent statement of the mayor that a majority of the board desired his resignation
* Any discussion of requesting Knott to resign may have been in violation of Sunshine Laws.
* The mayor failed to effectively communicate the issue to the board as mandated by charter.
It would be prudent for Mayor Fitzhugh to take this situation seriously. It is not fully clear if she will suffer any official repercussions for what she has done, but what is clear is that a good deal of the public thinks that the handling of the matter smacks of underhanded politics from city leaders that have grown too big for their britches. We live in a representative democracy, however, the public's interest was not represented in this matter, because not all of their representatives were consulted and discussion allowed.
The Stewart Houston Times reported on the matter and we wanted to take a moment to discuss this situation further.
Bonnie Lill gave each side a chance to comment and those in favor of Knott's "resignation" found themselves lacking. Let us first address the use of the term "resignation." While Knott did sign a letter of resignation, he was effectively fired. He didn't want to go and did so only for fear of losing a severance package. He supports his widowed mother to some extent and being left without income and without a severance package to carry him through a job search was probably more than enough pressure for him to submit to the Mayor and Vice-Mayor's demands.
Knott was also told by the Mayor that "four of the five board members" wanted his resignation, however, the math doesn't add up given that Tim Barrow and Terry Odom are quoted as saying they had no knowledge until after Paul Berry informed them Knott had resigned. Odom stated that he thought Jeff was doing a good job and Tim Barrow said he had no problems with Jeff's work. Obviously, this was a decision made without the full board knowing and the Mayor lied to Jeff Knott.
Berry says "Jeff is a fine person…..but he resigned." Mayor Fitzhugh says "Jeff is a great guy and I wish him the best in his future endeavors. But this was best for the town and the best for him." Bagwell will not comment other than to say he resigned. If Jeff Knott is such a great guy, why ask him to resign? If the request for his departure was for just cause, then why not offer the public an explanation? If just cause existed, why is it that two aldermen were not made aware. By charter, the city administrator answers to the board and by charter, the Mayor "shall communicate any information needed, and recommend measures the mayor deems expedient to the board." So if Jeff was lacking in his performance, is it not logical to assume that Barrow and Odom, two men held in high regard in the public eye, would see this for themselves. If it was not readily apparent to the board that an issue existed, then the Mayor had the charter mandated responsibility to inform the board and recommend measures to be taken.
Since the full board was not informed and a decision to call for Jeff Knott's resignation was made outside a public meeting, the mayor has denied the constituents of Barrow and Odom's respective wards, their representation in this matter and Jeff Knott was denied procedural due process.
If you feel that something is fishy and violations have been made please contact your local representatives and let them know something needs to be done.
Remember you can make a difference at the next election by voting for the canidate you feel will represent the town of Dovers best interests and not their own