Two women are speaking up regarding former human relations administrator Sandra Finch’s termination from her position with the City of Danville after 35 years of service.
“I am upset about how, Mayor, you terminated Sandra Finch. Sandra’s 35 years of service meant nothing to you,” Martha Espino told city council members Tuesday evening. “I worked with Sandra on the human relations commission for about 30 years. I am a Latino, I served on this commission because I wanted the concerns of my community addressed. Sandra and I worked together to address the concerns of my community. Sandra was always there for Latinos, the Hispanic community, as well as the whole community.”
Espino said Finch was fair.
“When I had a police complaint, Sandra never took my side. Instead, she looked at the evidence and then explained to me why the police officer did what he had to do. If the officer was wrong she stood up for me,” she said. Sandra was committed and dedicated to help people.”
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Danville Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr., responded to Espino saying, “All I will say is the truth is the light of the world.”
Former Danville Alderwoman Brenda Brown also addressed the council.
“My concern this evening is with the human relations administrator position that is to be filled,” Brown said. ” I’d seen something on Facebook about filling the position and that there may be some changes. I am not sure what changes, why you’re changing, or how you are going to make the changes … Again, my interest with this is to place and put someone there who is qualified and dually qualified. I know what Sandra did while in this position. She served it well.”
Brown shared her concern that the position requires a vast knowledge of the law.
“I did a little research, talked to a few people in other communities that serve in that position or somewhat similar to this,” she said. “Some of the things I came away with from talking to the people (is that) you have to be very well qualified, very, very well versed on employment law, housing law, civil rights law, and also recognize that this position is a straight legal position.
“You have to be very well versed in these things that I just named, plus there are a lot of others. As well, you have to know the nuance of the law, meaning that sometimes it’s not just what we think it is … there’s a lot of other details, and you have to know this.”
Finch, she said, was well-known and respected in her field.
“I just ask, if you make changes Mayor, I’d like the council, when you get ready to vote on this or whatever, remember some of these things and do your homework and check with some of these people that are in another place,” she said.
Alderman Ed Butler asked Brown when she saw a post on Facebook about filling Finch’s position.
“You knew about it before the council did then, I see,” he said.
Williams told the council he did not post to social media about the position but rather was asked by a news source.
“I didn’t make a post Mr. Butler, I was interviewed by someone. I was interviewed by the news, and what I told them was that we would be updating the job description.”