The decisions follow a campaign in which four candidates who described themselves as conservatives won election, vowing to answer complaints from some residents about actions taken by the former council.
About halfway through the meeting, council voted to release Jim Palenick as city manager. The vote was 4-2, with the four newly-seated council members in the majority. Palenick had been city manager since August 2007.
According to the Gaston Gazette, Palenick responded to the vote by giving a short speech, gathering his personal belongings, and walking out of the meeting chambers.
The new council members — Walter Kimble, Jim Gallagher, Todd Pierceall and Porter McAteer Ward — had promised during the fall election campaign to reverse a controversial solid waste fee approved by the former council. That fee, which would have been collected from all residents, was to start Jan. 1.
But by a 4-2 vote Tuesday night, with the new members in the majority, that fee was postponed indefinitely.
Also postponed was the delivery of new recycling bins to 27,000 residences in the city. That delivery was to have started this week. The bins had electronic tracking chips and had drawn the ire of some residents.
The two hold-over members from the old city council, Dave Kirkin and Brenda Craig, voted against firing Palenick and against delaying the solid waste fee collection.
According to city budget records, Palenick was earning $140,000 a year. Two assistant city managers were named by council Tuesday night as interim co-city managers.
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By Steve Lyttle
The Charlotte Observer
Posted: Wednesday, Dec. 07, 2011
