Mayor-elect Randy Fitts cleaned house Thursday, handing walking papers to six of seven department heads.
In face-to-face meetings with the administrators, Fitts asked for their resignations, effective Jan. 1. Only Fire Chief Robert Adams survived the purge."A lot of this is for economic reasons," said Fitts. "We are really top-heavy with our management.
"The other thing has to do with the direction I should go," he said. "I need people I am comfortable with."
The six forced to resign were:
- Police Chief Oren J. Peck, who accepted his appointment less than a year ago. Fitts said Lt. Bob Gray, a longtime officer in the South Salt Lake Police Department, will be acting chief and he hopes to name a permanent successor to Peck from within the department. The mayor-elect said Peck, who recently bought a home in the Cottonwood area of Salt Lake County, was dismissed because he does not live inside the city limits. The City Council has previously said it prefers its law-enforcement administrators reside in South Salt Lake.
- Jonnalyne Walker, director of community economic development and a lightning rod in the past for critics of the city's sponsorship of an FHP medical campus, established last year by taking land from scores of residents.
Fitts said the city will put less emphasis on courting corporate institutions. "In that department we're going to work now with housing," he said.
- Mike Mehraban, public works director. The city may decide to divide the department under two administrators - one for streets, the other for water, said the mayor-elect. "I will ask the council to decide the most effective arrangement."- Gail Carlson, finance director. Fitts said the opening will probably be filled in-house and that the city will curtail its bonding. Three major bonds currently floated by South Salt Lake paid for street, sewer and firefighting improvements in recent years.
- City Attorney Clint Balmforth, likely to be replaced by Kevin Watkins, an assistant city attorney.
- Laura Lloyd, human resources director, likely to be replaced by Sonya Crouch, deputy recorder.
Fitts, who defeated City Councilman John Goldheardt in a close general-election race, said the firings were all in a day's work for a new mayor.
"It's part of the game of government - you disappoint some people, but hopefully the decisions you make will be the right ones.
"I'm just getting our government back in tune with the people of South Salt Lake," he said.
Appointments are made by the mayor and approved by the City Council. Fitts takes office Jan. 4.