Fire chief could end up with $45,000 severance

Paradise Valley residents spoke loud and clear when they voted for challenger Rod Ferreira over incumbent Fred Marek 362 to 47 in District 1. In District 2, they chose Orrin Everhart over Margie Ladely 374 to 36, and in District 3, it was Brad Holifield with 365 votes to Chet Savage’s 44.

The new elected board will be sworn in on Monday,  Jan. 11, 2010.

The PVFD taxpayers might heat up with news of the current appointed boards decision to grant a large severance package which gives PVFD Chief Jock Johnson guarantee of a full year salary of $45,000 even if the new elected board tries to reduce the chief’s time status or if for any reason Johnson loses his position. 

According to PVFD commissioners elect, Brad Holifield and Orrin Everhart the new board have consulted an attorney to see if there is a way to undo the contract.

“If you look at the contract you’d notice it isn’t just a contract for a full-time chief at $45,000 it very explicitly says he will be paid $45,000 regardless,” said Everhart.

Currently Johnson makes $1,000 per month which began in June and goes until Dec. 31.  The new contract will pay $3,750 per month beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

Holifield alleged that the current board is trying to force its will on the voters.  The new board also believes that an Idaho Open Meeting Law may have been violated, and are consulting an attorney. Their claim is the agenda for the Sept. 8 meeting  topic to be discussed was, “contract for services” and was not specific to Johnson’s salary.  In the meetings minutes it also states contract for services and unanimous vote to approve the contract.

“There was a public meeting in Oct. and a couple of times it was discussed about the need to go to a part-time contract for Johnson,” said Everhart.  “It would have been appropriate I think for them to have said that there is a contract, but nothing was mentioned about this contract so we still didn’t know anything about it, nobody knew.”

If you look at the context of the whole thing would you want the hot button topic to come up in the middle of the election,” Holifield said.

According to Holifield, The agenda was not specific about Johnson’s salary being discussed and this is why they want to find out what the motive of that may have been.  The new board also doesn’t want to be bound to a contract which they had no say in, and think that it will upset Paradise Valley residents when they hear the news.

Attorney for PVFD Nancy Stricklin has been contacted by the incoming board about the matter.  Current board member Marek has denied the allegations according to Holifield and Everhart.

“I know Jock and I think he has taken the department from where it was to where it is now,” said Holifield.  We would like to be able to sit down with him and not have our hands tied by a contract that is made by an appointed board and not an elected board,” said Holifield.

“The difference is we were elected explicitly to reduce the budget and to have a part-time fire chief, so that continues to be our goal,” said Everhart.

In June, a higher than expected budget for the newly formed Paradise Valley Fire District prompted outcry by residents.

When the volunteer fire association lobbied to create a taxing district one year ago, residents had understood to expect a budget of about $112,000. Seven months later, the department proposed a $243,000 budget that included paying $45,000 for a fire chief, who was a volunteer.

After a standing-room only public meeting on the budget, fire commissioners reduced it to about $153,000 which still includes the $45,000 salary of Johnson.

“We truly hope this can all be worked out by the current board,” said Holifield.  “I am excited about the future we are all looking forward to it just as soon as we get past this.”

Paradise Valley District Board’s next public  meeting is 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8 at the Paradise Valley Fire Hall.