Months ago, we posted that Pensacola Police Chief David Alexander wanted to keep his job after his DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program) date as CFO Dick Barker, Assistant to the City Council Elaine Mager and others in City Hall have done.
Mayor Ashton Hayward told WEAR TV 3’s Jackalyn Kovac that he will not detour from his original succession plan that has Assistant Police Chief Tommi Lyter being submitted to the City Council as the new Police Chief this May.
“David chose to retire in 2012, and his contract specifically states that he is gonna leave in May. He’s been terrific for our team, but we have a succession plan and we’re gonna move forward,” Hayward told WEAR TV 3.
George, my DROP ends this year. Do I get to stay?
Well how is the Mayor elected,,the old saying when you fig one ditch you better dig two!!
The mayor’s goal all along has been to get his good buddy Tommy Lyter to the chief of police position. The mayor got credit for hiring the 1st black chief with the understanding his good buddy Tommy Lyter would be promoted to Assistant Chief. Was the Assistant Chief position a created position – was there an assistant chief when Chip Simmons was Chief? There was years ago. What about the police officers’ opinions of Chief Alexander and Lyter? Do they want Lyter to be their Chief? Does work ethic mean anything anymore?
So what about Dick Barker and Ms. Maiger?
I’m sorry but this double dipping BS needs to stop for EVERYBODY trying to milk the city! If you want to retire great but you are not picking up two checks for doing the same job, I don’t care how good someone is.
Is this any surprise to ANYONE? From a Mayor that has shown a clear pattern of discrimination and incompetence and maladministration. The REAL SURPRISE would have been”if the Mayor actually made a GOOD decision.” Chief Alexander has done an outstanding job and should continue, however, the Mayor cannot stand ANYONE with more popularity than HIM. An incompetent narcissist!
Councilwoman Myers says that the city law in question does “not” tie the hands of this and all future Mayors. The seems an easy issue to resolve. Because the City Council has for more than two years refused to hire a City Council Attorney, as directed by voters in November 2014, the City Council is legally defenseless, right where Mayor Hayward wants it. When her resolution in support of Police Chief Alexander comes up for discussion on Thursday, Myers should make a motion asking the City Council to direct City Attorney Bowling to provide a written legal opinion or have someone else do it for her. Once that issue is clarified, Myers or another Council member can propose an amendment to the offending ordinance. There would likely be four votes to pass it. Hayward could veto the amendment but would probably not because such an amendment expands rather than contracts the executive powers of the city exercised by the Mayor. Once the ordinance is amended, then the ball will all be in Hayward’s court and he can try to explain to everyone why after less than two years he effectively wants to fire a Police Chief that he says is doing such a “terrific” job.