ROCKLAND, Maine — City Manager James Chaousis said Friday he has yet to hear back from members of the City Council concerning his letter to them urging either the firing of the city attorney or a negotiated separation deal for himself.
In the Monday letter, Chaousis also copied his attorney Bryan Dench of Auburn, as well as Linda McGill of Portland, an outside attorney specializing in labor matters who was hired in January by the City Council.
Chaousis said that Dench has been his attorney for years and that there was no special meaning behind his sending a copy to him.
Kevin Beal has been the city’s staff attorney since 2007, but Chaousis asked councilors in a letter last December to terminate Beal’s contract, claiming the lawyer had demonstrated insubordination and participated in unethical and illegal activities.
No details about the allegations have been made public, but the claims have been denied by Beal’s attorney Daniel Nuzzi. City councilors also responded publicly this week to Chaousis’ allegations, defending the attorney.
When the council failed to take action on Chaousis’ December request, the city manager in April proposed a 2016-2017 city budget that eliminated the full-time staff attorney position and called for contracting out legal services.
Then two weeks ago, the council asked that the money be put back into the budget for the full-time attorney position.
Though they defended Beal this week after receiving Chaousis’ latest letter, the City Council during a budget meeting on Wednesday voted to allot $130,000 for both contracted legal services and contracted planning services, which would effectively eliminate the full-time city attorney’s position. There was little debate on the issue and no mention of Chaousis’ letter during the Wednesday meeting.
When asked Friday whether the budget vote on legal services by the councilors on Wednesday night satisfied his demand, Chaousis deferred, saying he would await a response by the council.
The final vote on the 2016-2017 municipal budget is expected on June 27. A new city councilor will be elected Tuesday. Candidate Adam Ackor has voiced support for both Beal and the full-time attorney position while candidate Michael Herbert said that the $130,000 budget decision made Wednesday by the council appeared to be a good financial compromise.
The employment agreement between the city and Chaousis calls for him to receive at least three months of severance if his employment is terminated without cause. He also would receive any accrued vacation and sick time.
Chaousis was hired in January 2015 and began in March last year with an annual pay rate of $92,000.
Beal’s employment agreement calls for him to continue to be paid his salary and benefits up to 90 days from his termination. His salary was budgeted this year at $79,000.
Beal has declined to comment on the controversy since it began in December.
The next scheduled council meeting is its regular monthly meeting on Monday evening. There is no item on the agenda concerning personnel issues.