Tucson transportation terminations commence
Saying that accountability and responsiveness will be a hallmark of his administration, Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild announced the results of an investigation into the City’s Transportation Department. Several employees have received Notices of Termination today.
The Mayor would not comment on the notices saying that he needed “to honor the City’s Civil Service Rules as well as federal law, which provide that the employees in question have rights to a pre-discharge meeting before any discipline is final.”
Rothschild did say that the notices should send a message that “wrongful conduct will not be tolerated by any City of Tucson employee in any department.”
The City Manager Richard Miranda said that they would not announce the names of the employees as a result of legal constraints. Miranda then introduced the new Transportation Director, Daryl Cole.
The City of Tucson’s streets administrator, Kurt Hough, has been on administrative leave for over nine months. Hough was paid $33.95 an hour during that time.
Tucson Police had investigated whether city street maintenance workers improperly used city equipment and resources for personal gain. They investigated city employees suspected of using city equipment and materials on freelance jobs.