AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Augusta’s fire chief has resigned after a long struggle with the local firefighters union, an outside review that criticized his leadership and allegations that he discriminated against an employee because the employee is gay.
The Augusta Commission voted 7-3 on Tuesday to accept a separation agreement with Fire Chief Chris James. His resignation was effective immediately, but James will keep getting paid through Aug. 31. That means the consolidated city-county will owe him more than $100,000 of his $150,000 yearly salary. In exchange, James agreed not to sue, according to The Augusta Chronicle.
Commissioner Bill Fennoy, who opposed the settlement and supported James, said the chief was treated unfairly. But he said other commissioners were poised to fire James, who had been chief since 2012.
“I think there were votes to have him terminated if he didn’t resign,” Fennoy told WJBF-TV.
An October consulting report, meant to address years of complaints, found the department of more than 300 lacked a chain of command and most it interviewed said morale had “never been lower,” under James’ leadership in recent months.
The review said the department’s 15.4% turnover rate was almost twice the national average and called for the city to begin tracking firings and resignations and bring in a human resources specialist to improve employee relations.
In September, former city EMS chief James Kelly sent commissioners a letter alleging James subjected him to discrimination and hostility because he is gay. James denied the allegations.
James has for years been targeted by the Augusta Firefighters Association, a union which does not have a collective bargaining contract with the city.
“We’ll be standing by waiting to assist the commission rebuilding the department and moving forward,” Firefighters Association President Philip Brigham said. “We’re all about what’s best for the city,”
James and some commissioners have said the union, which is largely white, targeted the chief because he was Black.
“For him to go out the way that he did to me it was an insult to his character his integrity and his leadership,” Fennoy said.
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