NEW AT ELEVEN.
PORTSMOUTH'S CITY MANAGER
HAS RESIGNED HIS
POSITION--THE
CLIMAX TO A DRAMA OVER A
FORMER FIRE CHIEF HIRED
FOR A TAXPAYER FUNDED
POSITION THAT WASN'T EVEN
IN THE BUDGET.
10 ON YOUR SIDE'S ANDY
FOX HAS SEEN THIS UNFOLD
SINCE DAY ONE--ANDY
WHAT HAPPENED TONIGHT?
(24:38 6) ((WHAT CAN YOU
RESIGNATION. WHY WON'T
SEALED HIS FATE BY
REFUSING A COUNCIL DEMAND
TO PUT INTO WRITING HOW
COUNCIL WORKSHOP SESSION
INTEREST IN POSSIBLY
RETURNING TO THE
ORGANIZATION)) RUNS: 06
CHANDLER SAYS HORTON DID
HIS OLD POSITION BECAUSE
INTERIM FIRE CHIEF BECK
GARFIELD WAS
DOING A GOOD JOB AS
CHIEF. (19 50:55)
((WE NOTICED A GREAT DEAL
OF CAMARADERIE. WITH HIS
RETURN TO
BOOST OF MORALE )) RUNS:
10 WHERE CHANDLER FAILED
THE COUNCIL WAS
EXPLAINING WHY HE BROUGHT
BACK HORTON AS THE DEPUTY
DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT WHICH IS NOT A
FUNDED POSITION THEN TO
MOVE HIM TO
DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
(52:49) ((A WORKING TITLE
CURRENTLY THE
CLASSIFICATION IN THE
COMP PLAN IS DEPUTY CHIEF
BUT THE WORKING TITLE
WAS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT))
RUNS: 11 CHANDLER FAILED
TO EXPLAIN TO
EVERYONE WHO ASKED THAT
THESE TWO POSITIONS ARE
BASICALLY THE SAME
POSITION. THE LOUDEST
CHANDLER CRITIC IS
COUNCILMAN BILL MOODY WHO
SAYS HORTON'S RESIGNATION
IS A
DONE DEAL. . (58:21 19)
((THERE AGAIN THE CHIEF
COMMUNICATED RESIGNATION.
ONCE
YOU RESIGN YOU ARE DONE.
END OF STORY. I
UNDERSTAND WHAT
YOU ARE SAYING AND I AM
NOT HERE TO DEBATE YOUR
POSITION))
RUNS: 16 IT WOULD APPEAR
CHANDLER'S
GREATEST FAILURE WAS ONE
OF COMMUNICATION THAT
ENDED
ERODING HIS SUPPORT ON
COUNCIL.
MAYOR KENNY WRIGHT (:49
1)
((HE OFFERED HIS
RESIGNATION DID YOU
ACCEPT IT? ABSOLUTE AND
AT
THIS TIME I WANT TO THANK
HIM FOR HIS YEARS OF
SERVICE))
RUNS: 08 AS HE LEFT THE
COUNCIL WORK
SESSION-AS ALWAYS
CHANDLER NO COMMENT (2:19
2) ((BILL DID YOU BUY THE
EXPLANATION
NO I DID NOT I DID NOT))
RUNS: 05 MAYOR WRIGHT
CALLS CHANDLER'S FIVE
FOR WHAT HE'S DONE LEAST
RUNS: 09
TEAM COVERAGE CONTINUES
NOW.
10 ON YOUR SIDE HAS
LEARNED KEN CHANDLER IS
NOT LEAVING OFFICE
EMTPY HANDED. THEY CITY
IS GIVING HIM NEARLY 200
THOUSAND DOLLARS IN
SEVERANCE.
10 ON YOUR SIDE'S JASON
MARKS IS HERE TO BREAK IT
DOWN.
JASON?
192 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR
HIS RESIGNATION. THAT
MONEY WILL BE
GIVEN TO HIM ALL AT ONE
TIME. I CAN'T TELL YOU
THERE ARE A LOT TAX
PAYERS
WHO ARE UPSET TO HEAR
THAT.
13=23:45 "THE TOTAL
PACKAGE IS 192 THOUSAND
GOING CITY MANAGER KEN
ROCK OUR CITY HAS
CHIEF DON HORTON. THE
PACKAGE-- BILLY MOODY AND
VICE
MAYOR CHARLES WHITEHURST
VOTING AGAINST IT.
THE NEARLY 192 THOUSAND
DOLLAR
SEVERANCE PACKAGE BREAKS
DOWN LIKE THIS. CHANDLER
WILL ONE YEAR'S SALARY AT
164 THOUSAND. 14
THOUSAND FOR
RETIREMENT. 9-6 HUNDRED
FOR CAR ALLOWANCE AND AN
ADDITIONAL 36
HUNDRED FOR EXPENSES.
HE'LL BE GIVEN THAT MONEY
IN ONE LUMP
SUM THIS JANUARY.
15=:8:43:04 "THAT'S TAX
DOLLARS COMING OUT OF OUR
POCKETS AND GIVING TO HIM
AND HE AIN'T WORKING OR
NOTHING" THE WORD OF THE
MANAGER'S
RESIGNATION IS QUICKLY
SPREADING ON THE STREETS.
48=9:42:38 "BANANAS
THAT'S NOT RIGHT TO MUCH
GOING ON TO MANY PLACES..
YEAH IT'S YOUR MONEY.. IT
WAS MY MONEY BUT NOW IT'S
HIS MONEY"
47=:9:36:51 "HE SHOULD
RESIGN I'M PLEASED HE'S
RESIGNED BUT WE
NEED TO GET SOMEBODY WHO
IS MORE INVOLVED"
I'VE NEVER SEEN THE CITY
COUNCIL CHAMBERS AS FULL
AS IT WAS TONIGHT.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THE CITY
COUNCIL CHAMBERS AS FULL
AS IT WAS TONIGHT.
MANY OF THE SPEAKERS ARE
NOT JUST UNHAPPY WITH
THIS WHO CHANDLER
ORDEAL-- BUT ALSO THEY
ARE UNHAPPY WITH COUNCIL
IN GENERAL. MANY OF
THEM SAID TONIGHT-- THEY
PLAN TO TAKE THEIR
UNHAPPINESS TO THE POLLS
IN
NOVEMBER. JASON MARKS 10
ON YOUR SIDE.
CURRENT DEPUTY CITY
MANAGER J. BRANNON
GODFREY, JR. WILL TAKE
OVER
FOR CHANDLER IN THE
INTERIM.
GODFREY HAS WORKED FOR
THE CITY SINCE 2009.
HE DOES HAVE EXPERIENCE
AS A CITY MANAGER.
HE HELD THAT POSITION IN
BOTH EMPORIA AND
WINCHESTER,
VIRGINIA.. HE'LL BE
SWORN IN TOMORROW
MORNING AT EIGHT
HERE'S HOW WE GOT TO
WHERE WE ARE. DON HORTON
RESIGNED AS FIRE CHIEF IN
JULY.
THEN THE CITY ANNOUNCED
HORTON WAS ON FAMILY
MEDICAL
LEAVE. THEN LAST WEEK
--- CITY MANAGER KEN
CHANDLER ANNOUNCED A NEW
POSITION FOR HORTON:
DEPUTY
DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT...WHICH PAYS
98-
THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
THEN THIS WEEK ---
CHANDLER LEARNED
HORTON CAN'T HAVE THAT
JOB BECAUSE IT'S NOT PART
OF THE BUDGET.