In an odd, very twisted way that is true. Why? Because Martin would have fired Police Chief Dan Goodenough and Assistant Chief Joe Schutzman immediately after taking office in 2011. But it is still a preposterous excuse.
You see, many, many Cities function perfectly well with a Civil Service system in place. The difference? Those many, many other Cities don't have a Mike Martin sitting in the mayor's office. Villa Hills certainly does. The results have been disastrous.
Martin has placed the taxpayers in harm's way yet again because of his inexplicable mishandling of the Schutzman situation. Especially when that situation is compared to how Martin handled the case of his Interim City Clerk Sue Bree. And that comparison will be made in some type of public venue when the time comes.
Let's do a comparison of our own:
On October 3, 2012, Martin issued a written reprimand to his Interim City Clerk Sue Bree. In that reprimand, Martin alleged that Bree violated the following City Personnel Policies.
1. Violation of any Federal or State law, County of City ordinance;
2. Unauthorized use of City property
3. Violation of City policies, regulations, or departmental rules;
4. Conduct on or off the job unbecoming to City personnel or which brings discredit to the City;
5. Insubordination;
6. Neglect or disobedience of orders.
On May 23, 2013, Martin suspended Assistant Chief Joe Schutzman without pay charging him with:
1. Intimidation; and
2. Political activity.
In Martin's October 3, 2012 "discipline" of Bree, Martin provides detailed reasons for the written reprimand. First, he says Bree misused City equipment to shred documents in violation of a judge's orders and Martin's own supposed directive. Secondly, Martin writes that on ". . . several occasions since 2011, you (Bree) failed to complete and fill public records in a timely manner . . .". Martin goes on to write that he had "repeatedly instructed you (Bree) to comply with, and follow the law". That all sounds quite clear, doesn't it?
On May 23, 2013, Martin provided absolutely no details to substantiate his charges against Assistant Chief Schutzman. Judging by the nonsense that has happened since then, Martin and other City officials scrambled to gin up some kind of "evidence" after-the-fact.
We hope somebody asks Martin how many times he sat down with Schutzman to discuss these issues prior to suspending him without pay? Repeatedly? Several times? A few times? Once? Our guess? Never.
To be blunt, not one damned thing happened to the Interim City Clerk after the issuance of Martin's October 3, 2012 written reprimand. No suspension. No Civil Service hearing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. In fact, Bree stunningly said that she hadn't even bothered to read the reprimand when she testified during Martin's removal hearing last October.
What about Assistant Chief Schutzman? Martin originally said he wanted the Civil Service Board hearing to result in Schutzman's termination. Martin then backed that down to a "120 day suspension".
Maybe something else was going on there.120 day suspension? Hmmmmm. My, my, my. Why that would have taken us right to the time when Martin says he wants his radical plan to disband the City's police department to take effect. Kenton County Police cruisers are already patrolling Villa Hills' streets.
When its all said and done, Martin may simply decide to blame City Attorney Toad V. McMurtry for providing slipshod legal advice. We guess Toad V. McMurtry won't care. He'll keep billing the bejeezus out of the taxpayers' hides either way.
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Speaking of comparisons and billing the bejeezus out of the taxpayers, where is Councilmember Mary Koenig's self-righteous indignation now? During last year's "let's give Martin a whole new council" race, Koenig bitterly railed against the cost of the Special Counsel's investigation of Martin. This despite THE FACT that Martin was CONVICTED ON SEVEN OF NINE COUNTS OF OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT AND NEGLECT OF DUTY.
Flash forward to today. Not one peep of protest from Koenig about:
- Martin signing the purchase order that generated himself a $23,000-PLUS BONUS CHECK
- Martin HIRING AT LEAST SEVEN TAXPAYER-FUNDED ATTORNEYS
- Martin USING TAXPAYER MONEY TO FILE SUIT AGAINST THE TAXPAYERS
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Martin wouldn't be reaming the taxpayers like this if former Councilmembers Pope and Noll had not "gone in the tank" for Martin last October.
[PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Martin Chronicles will be welcoming visitor number 130,000 some time today. Thank you all for your ongoing support of our blog. We couldn't do it without you. And of course the perpetual mayhem wreaked by the malfeasant Martin!]
