Police Chief Steven Abbott confirmed that the mayor’s office requested a police officer to escort Kathryn Fogle, 4th Ward alderman and Common Council president, out of city hall on Tuesday.
According to Fogle, she went to city hall on Tuesday to address concerns that a city department head was being terminated. Fogle said a discussion with Mayor John Lombardi III about her desire to retain the employee turned into an argument.
Lombardi did not respond to a request for comment.
Abbott said Captain Kendra DiTullio reported to the mayor’s office after Paula Halliday, the mayor’s administrative assistant, called to have a person removed. When DiTullio arrived, Fogle left of her own accord.
Fogle said in her role as chair of the city’s personnel committee, she had gone to the city clerk’s office to arrange a personnel meeting after hearing that the city employee might be terminated. She and the clerk moved to Lombardi’s office, where Fogle said she wanted to schedule the meeting.
Fogle said Lombardi told her, “It’s too late for that.”
Fogle said she asked to be informed of why, because her role with the personnel committee has included reviewing grievances and other employee matters.
The discussion turned to exchanging criticisms about each other’s work, Fogle said, at which time the mayor told Fogle to leave and she refused.
“I’m very angry,” said Anita Mullane, 2nd Ward alderman. “It took us so long to find someone who is qualified,” she said of the city employee.
“We lost five department heads last year,” she said. “To find someone with all those qualifications that we requested — and then to fire him without even being consulted. The things that he said made sense. He knew what he was talking about. (The employee) has been totally professional.”
“He does a really good job and people don’t like that,” Fogle said.