FREDERICK, Colo. — Getting a second chance is a good thing, right?
It's a little awkward in the town of Frederick, where the town trustees fired the Town Manager on Tuesday, just to find out on Wednesday they really didn't have enough votes.
"I'd like to make a motion to terminate the contract in which the town of Frederick holds with the Town Manager," Trustee Rocky Figurilli said during the meeting on Tuesday.
Figurilli did not give a reason for why he wanted to fire Town Manager Matt LeCerf.
Mayor Tony Carey asked for a recess to talk with the town attorney, then the conversation continued.
"We are not permitted at this point in open session to discuss Matt's (LeCerf) performance," said Carey.
Then came the roll call.
- Mayor Pro Tem (Laura) Brown? No.
- Trustee (Rusty) ONeal? Yes.
- Trustee (Tracie) Crites? No.
- Trustee (Rocky) Figurilli? Yes.
- Trustee (Sam) DeSantis? Yes.
- Motion passed 3-to-2.
As the vote started, video of the meeting shows LeCerf already packing his belongings. He stands up and walks out just as the third "yes" vote is called. The very next day, the trustees called an emergency meeting on the advice of the town council.
"The vote that was taken to terminate the town manager's contract was 3-to-2 and based on 'Town Code 2-76', it's my opinion that four affirmative votes were necessary," said Town Attorney Rick Samson.
Frederick Town Code is very specific about the hiring and firing of the Town Manager: "The appointment or removal of the Town Manager shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board of Trustees."
When the vote took place on Tuesday, Trustee Dan March was absent. The Mayor said he traditionally votes only to break ties.
The board then voted to invalidate the vote to fire LeCerf, with four voting in favor of invalidating the original vote, and Figurilli abstaining. However, because that action took place during an emergency meeting, it will have to be brought up once more at a public or special meeting.
On Friday, Next reached out by email to all of the Trustees and LeCerf. We also left voicemail messages with some of the Trustees. We only heard back from the Mayor, the two who voted against the firing and the one who wasn't in attendance. We received a read receipt on our emails to DeSantis and to LeCerf, but did not get a reply.
The Mayor and Trustees Brown, Crites and March did not know why the request to fire the Town Manager was brought up. March said he did not know if he would vote yes or no, but without information about the reason why, he probably would have voted no. The Mayor, who said he only votes on ties told us he would be in favor of following a process.
"I would have voted no in an interest of having an executive session," said Carey.
