News Update
Flower Mound town manager placed on leave (updated)
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
In a special meeting Saturday, the Flower Mound Town Council unanimously voted to place Town Manager Harlan Jefferson on paid administrative leave.
The council also named Assistant Town Manager Chuck Springer as interim town manager.
It was believed the council was going to terminate Jefferson's contract on Saturday. Mayor Tom Hayden declined comment, citing personnel matters.
Jefferson's contract was set to expire Oct. 15, 2015. Jefferson had been Flower Mound's town manager since 2006.
During the public hearing portion of the meeting, Jefferson’s attorney, Don Colleluori spoke to the council, the only member of the audience to do so. He said Jefferson understands that it is the council’s right to terminate his contract, but he said Jefferson had not been given the opportunity to address any concerns the council had of him.
Colleluori also said possible reasons for the council wanting to terminate Jefferson’s contract may be related to developer surveys in which area developers gave low marks to the town’s processes. But Colleluori said those processes are set by the council and that the town manager only enforces those.
The attorney also claimed that because Jefferson declined to resign, an effort began to find ethics code violations against his client. The attorney said no violations were found.
Colleluori also claimed that the council recently hired an outside attorney to help the town avoid paying Jefferson his severance.
More to come.
The council also named Assistant Town Manager Chuck Springer as interim town manager.
It was believed the council was going to terminate Jefferson's contract on Saturday. Mayor Tom Hayden declined comment, citing personnel matters.
Jefferson's contract was set to expire Oct. 15, 2015. Jefferson had been Flower Mound's town manager since 2006.
During the public hearing portion of the meeting, Jefferson’s attorney, Don Colleluori spoke to the council, the only member of the audience to do so. He said Jefferson understands that it is the council’s right to terminate his contract, but he said Jefferson had not been given the opportunity to address any concerns the council had of him.
Colleluori also said possible reasons for the council wanting to terminate Jefferson’s contract may be related to developer surveys in which area developers gave low marks to the town’s processes. But Colleluori said those processes are set by the council and that the town manager only enforces those.
The attorney also claimed that because Jefferson declined to resign, an effort began to find ethics code violations against his client. The attorney said no violations were found.
Colleluori also claimed that the council recently hired an outside attorney to help the town avoid paying Jefferson his severance.
More to come.
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