After a closed session labelled potential litigation during their afternoon Study Session, the Bishop City Council came out and their attorney offered an announcement. Peter Tracy was sitting in as counsel. According to observers, he said, in effect, that the Council had considered hiring retired Colonel David Buckingham as City Administrator and that he claimed he was harmed by their not hiring him. So, they paid him $38,000 to make no further claims.
Unconfirmed reports from reliable sources indicate that the Council offered a contract to Buckingham, that he signed it and made plans to move to Bishop only to have the offer withdrawn. It is not known if the City had signed a contract or why they may have withdrawn one.
Officials have declined to reveal details about what resulted in the $38,000 pay-out of City funds to Buckingham. Reliable sources did say that Buckingham and his wife had travelled to Bishop and spent several days here meeting people. It was also reported that he had put his house in Virginia up for rent and was looking for a place to live in Bishop.
Reports further indicated that the contract with Buckingham was planned for approval July 14th. There was no action on the City Administrator item on the 14th.
On July 28th, the Council unanimously offered the City Administrator contract to Jim Tatum, who accepted and will start work at the end of this month. A press release with more details was expected to be released Tuesday.
Sounds like the Colonel made a quick 38,000 of the Citizens of Inyo county, what a group of Morons making the decisions for the City of Bishop. Sounds like a knee jerk reaction.
Looks like the real idiots are the city of Morro Bay. They paid more for this guy one who is sue happy.
Not someone that I would trust.
Just my opinion.
Hey Gotta love it, The Colonel is lied to and wants to have his financial loss made right. HE WAS LIED TO by the council and you wouldn’t trust him? Great logic on your part. If you’re not running for city council put your name out there as a write… Read more »
Vote ’em out ! Vote ’em all out after investigating what actually transpired !
I am so disappointed in our local government. I know most of the sitting counsel members (some better than others) and consider them “good” people. They come from various backgrounds, and are well educated but lack experience and, lately, common sense. It baffles me that when people get elected to… Read more »
Just a reminder. We don’t have all the facts. BK
Although “we don’t know all the facts”, which is true, common sense gives us a STRONG sense of what they are. Had the City Council not sent a contract to the Colonel and he didn’t sign it, what could they possibly fear litigation for other than breach of contract? I’m… Read more »
@BK – What was the final vote on the Council’s decision to give themselves a raise?
What goes around often comes around. “The truth is out there”.
Granted it’s only $38,000 but with the City’s current lack of a reliable revenue stream, reluctance to generate new revenue, and the Council deciding against selling a viable and strategic piece of property for a signature Court House and County center in downtown Bishop all on the advice of “some… Read more »
If I was responsible for loosing $38,000 at any job I’ve ever had, I would have been shown the exit. This sitting council is incompetent and should be all fired ASAP. Let’s all get out and vote in the upcoming elections and let the “leaders” know this is unacceptable.
cab fare for the city..
GGW
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
That is shameful. Bishop needs to elect qualified leadership that is capable of making decisions they can stand by for our community. Between this and the ridiculous courthouse decision, an election can’t come soon enough.
‘cept look who’s running for office…..
Could the person who dropped the ball at the City pay for this instead of us taxpayers?
I have been slowly coming around to the notion that at fault public employees ought to pay the cost of settlements for acts they committed on duty that were not within public policy. Courts cannot authorize or demand the expenditure public tax money. Only an elected legislative body has the… Read more »
Is the goodolboy network coming back? Could the city have used $38,000 for water and sewer rather than raising the rates? Or maybe keeping our own police dept.? looks like something stinky if it was worth that much money to make it go away. imagine what the lost lawsuit would… Read more »
Good job boys!
Mammothitus… Now Bishop has gotten it. Didn’t know it was contagious.
Awesome job ciy council! Way to do your homework this time around. Such a joke!!