Valley Councilmen Grafos, Hafner want city manager’s firing investigated

The divide between those who supported and opposed the firing of City Manager Mike Jackson grew wider Tuesday as some Spokane Valley City Council members called for an independent investigation.

At Tuesday’s heated council meeting, members Dean Grafos and Chuck Hafner called for the independent investigation into Jackson’s termination on Feb. 23.

Grafos was ruled out of order by Mayor Rod Higgins who repeatedly asked Grafos and Hafner to stop talking and follow council rules.

Councilman Bill Gothmann said he believes the city made the decision to dismiss Jackson in an legal manner.

“I may disagree as much as I want to, but we have to move on,” Gothmann said. “The city has to move on.”

Grafos and Hafner did not attend s private meeting held before the public session that was held to address potential legal issues following the firing of Jackson.

Both said they stayed away because they don’t want to be associated with the firing of Jackson, and both filed written statements with the city clerk explaining why they didn’t attend.

Hafner’s statement read in part that the firing of Jackson did not follow the appropriate process because Jackson was notified prior to the council vote that officially fired him.

Grafos’ statement was the same, though he went into more detail including that Jackson spent the weekend cleaning out his office, after he was told he’d be fired at the next council meeting.

When asked Monday, Higgins said the city has no official comment on the process behind Jackson’s firing because discussions are ongoing.

Jackson has retained Spokane attorney Milt Rowland but has not made any statements since he left City Hall.

At the end of the meeting, the independent investigation was brought up again, this time by Councilman Ed Pace.

Pace said the firing of Jackson was no different from how the city’s first manager, Dave Mercier, was fired in 2010 by a newly elected council majority that included Grafos.

Mercier’s firing surprised many when it was added to the agenda at the beginning of the council meeting where he was let go.

Then Mayor Tom Towey said Mercier, who lived on the West Side of the state and ran a consulting business, had asked to resign because he knew the city was headed in a new direction.

Pace said Tuesday evening there was no reason why the council couldn’t have the discussion right there, but Hafner and Grafos insisted an independent investigation is necessary and appropriate.

City Attorney Cary Driskell suggested the council make a decision about whether it would support an independent investigation before spending time on discussion.

The motion calling for an independent investigation was put on the advance agenda for discussion on March 22 and a vote on March 29.