Asks City Council Consider Circumstances Of Firing
posted March 30, 2006
Former city parks and recreation director Rob Healy is appealing his firing to the City Council.
Mr. Healy, who was fired by Mayor Ron Littlefield after he went before the council to protest his being replaced and moved to Outdoor Chattanooga, filed a letter with the council on Thursday.
It says, "Please have this letter serve as notice of my desire to appeal my termination as the administrator of parks and recreation for the city of Chattanooga.
"Please provide to me, as soon as possible, the details regarding the time and date of a hearing."
City employees have 15 days in which to appeal their termination. Mr. Healy filed the appeal on the 15th day since he was let go.
Mr. Healy said, "My termination letter said I was fired for the comments I made to the City Council. I don't think that's a fair reason to terminate somebody."
He said the hearing "will provide me an opportunity to tell my side of the story."
Mr. Healy said if he is re-instated, "I will try to make it work. Hopefully, the mayor would also."
The City Council is expected to discuss the issue with City Attorney Randy Nelson next Tuesday.
Mr. Healy said he is consulting with an attorney on the issue.
Councilman Jack Benson said he expects "the council will overwhelmingly support the action of Mayor Littlefield."
He said, "Whatever support Mr. Healy had on the council pretty rapidly eroded during his appearance before the council.
"It gave us insight into the problems he was having working within government."
Mr. Healy said Mayor Littlefield "hired me to do a job and I was doing my very best to do that job. I want what's best for this city and its future. This is where I grew up and I love this city."
He said of the council, "I would hope they would want responsible stewards of their money."
Mr. Healy said at some point he might be interested in again being involved in the Outdoor Chattanooga initiative. He was directing that program when he was asked by Mayor Littlefield to head parks and recreation.
The mayor later asked him to go back to Outdoor Chattanooga at the same pay he was getting at parks and recreation and be replaced there by Larry Zehnder. The council later approved the contract with Mr. Zehnder and the Barge, Waggoner firm he works for.
Mr. Healy said he does not plan to apply for the Outdoor Chattanooga executive director position that is currently being advertised.
He said Outdoor Chattanooga was initially planned as a private group not under city government. He said he would be interested in working with it under that scenario.
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