ANDERSON, Ind. — Anderson Mayor Kris Ockomon resigned at a special safety board meeting Monday and returned to the Anderson Police Department effective Tuesday, according to acting Mayor Greg Graham.
http://heraldbulletin.com/breakingnews/x1818101106/Mayor-Ockomon-resigns (http://heraldbulletin.com/breakingnews/x1818101106/Mayor-Ockomon-resigns)
He's a quitter too! :rolleyes:
Please tell my WHY he would do such a thing?....there has got to be a motive for such an act.
Quote from: Henry Hawk on December 27, 2011, 04:21:25 PM
Please tell my WHY he would do such a thing?....there has got to be a motive for such an act.
He had what, 4 days left to serve and he quit?! I agree, something is fishy.
With Smith set to take the reigns on the first, he has already begun bringing his west side redevelopment project back to life. I noted in today's Parrot Bulletin that Smith made a comment about the 6 million Ocky's Administration has pumped into the Farm project, would have been better spent on moving the west side redevelopment project along.
Perhaps Ocky just hates to hear the truth?
ANDERSON, Ind. — Kris Ockomon abruptly resigned as mayor on Monday and returned to the Anderson Police Department on Tuesday. Deputy Mayor Greg Graham is running the city until Kevin Smith is sworn in on Sunday.
At a special meeting of the Board of Public Safety on Monday, Ockomon issued this letter of resignation: "Let this letter serve as my notification of my resignation from the office of Mayor of the City of Anderson. My resignation will be effective this date (Dec. 27), and I will immediately return to the Anderson Police Department this date. My return to the Anderson Police Department is in accordance with Indiana Code and approved by the Board of Public Safety and the City of Anderson."
Graham's elevation to mayor follows a Board of Public Safety resolution adopted Monday that said Ockomon was granted a leave from Jan. 1, 2008, to Dec. 27, 2011, when "he is ordered to be allowed to return as a fully reinstated member of the Anderson Police Department." Ockomon will not receive mayor pay for the last week of the year, according to city attorney Tim Lanane. He will be paid detective rate.
Missing in all the legalese was a concern Ockomon had. According to the minutes of the safety board meeting, from chairman Richard Wiley, Ockomon said the reason behind his resignation was that Mayor-elect Smith had spoken on the radio about the possibility of opposing Ockomon's return to the Police Department. Further, Wiley said, Smith indicated that the number of police officers was already above what it should be.
Not so, said Smith.
"(Ockomon)'s disagreement is with the City Council not me," said Smith.
Ockomon could not be reached for comment.
Smith explained that the council budgeted for 116 police officers in 2012. The addition of Ockomon, Smith noted, made 118 officers. Would that mean, Smith asked, that two younger police officers would be laid off to reduce the force to 116?
Scott Calhoun, president of the APD chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he immediately put in a grievance when the council voted to reduce the number of officers to 116 during last fall's budget hearings, saying the contract between the FOP and city calls for 120. That grievance, he said, is soon to go to arbitration, and he added that he expects to file another grievance soon.
Ollie Dixon, president of the Anderson City Council, didn't like the politics surrounding Ockomon's return to the Police Department.
"(The council) did the same thing for Kevin," he said. "This is all coming from Kevin."
Smith disagreed.
"When I went back to the force, there was an opening," he said.
"The election is over," said Dixon. "It's time to go forward. The people warrant attention. It's time to stop all this bickering."
Dixon did say the council refused to budget for 120 officers unless the money became available. He then added that $300,000 had been found by the city controller. This could not be confirmed by the controller before press time, but Dixon said the money will go into the general fund. When asked if the money will be used to hire more police officers, Dixon said the money will be used as the council determines. He said discussion of the money will be held at the Jan. 12 council meeting.
Graham said Ockomon began talking about resigning a week ago. Wiley said to his knowledge no sitting Anderson mayor has resigned before.
The five-day mayor said he plans to use the week to ensure a smooth transition. On Tuesday afternoon, Graham was seated in his deputy mayor office. When asked why he wasn't in the mayor's office, Graham just smiled and shook his head.
http://heraldbulletin.com/breakingnews/x1818101106/Mayor-Ockomon-resigns (http://heraldbulletin.com/breakingnews/x1818101106/Mayor-Ockomon-resigns)