At least three Town department heads, council clerk facing termination

Contacted about a personnel shake up within the Front Royal Town government Wednesday, January 29, Interim Town Manager Matt Tederick would say only that he had some “very tough” conversations today with what he called “good people, good employees”, adding “this is not a negative personnel situation.”

Those conversations were part of what Tederick called preparation for presentation of his Fiscal Year 2021 Town Budget proposal at a Town Council work session on Monday, February 3rd.

And what that Town Manager’s budget presentation will propose, Tederick said, is a $29 million commitment to infrastructure improvements. Those improvements include $12 million for a North Commercial Corridor redundant water line years in the planning; $8 million for Inflow & Intake (I&I) improvements to keep the Town’s wastewater and sewer system state compliant; $1.6 million for upgrades to the fleet management (repair) facility; $4.8 million for secondary road improvements and paving; and $2.8 million for existing water line upgrades.

Tederick said he also plans to announce a half-percent Real Estate tax decrease – that’s right, DE-crease – to accompany his proposed budget.

Congratulations, Interim Town Manager Tederick may be thinking as he recognizes WWTP veteran Timmy Fristoe as December Employee of Month on Monday – you’re not on the list. Royal Examiner File Photos/Roger Bianchini

The only way to accomplish that is with personnel cuts as part of what the interim town manager called a “right-sizing” of the existing town governmental apparatus. That “right-sizing” will include departmental reorganizations and some outsourcing of existing in-house functions to the private sector that Tederick believes can save the Town a quarter million dollars in the coming budget year.

Included in his plan is a combining of the community development and planning departments; and privatization of the Town Engineering and Tourism functions. During a lengthy phone conversation early Wednesday evening, Tederick also observed that the Town Manager’s Administrative Assistant and Council Clerk’s positions have been joined at times in the past.

With these hints we feel comfortable in suggesting that the most immediately impacted Town jobs may include Planning Director Jeremy Camp, Community Development Director Felicia Hart, Town Engineer Robert Brown, Council Clerk Jennifer Berry, and Zoning Enforcement Officer Christopher Brock. Attempts to reach some of these employees by phone were unsuccessful Wednesday evening.

One in, one out? Shot of Town Attorney Doug Napier and Council Clerk Jennifer Berry at Monday, Jan. 27 work session.

While unwilling to confirm or comment on specific Town employees, Tederick did say that his conversations centered on the fact that his Monday budget recommendation would suggest the impacted positions be cut, outsourced or combined.

He said the suggested terminations would take effect February 4, the day after his work session budget presentation to council.

Asked specifically about the council clerk’s position, Tederick pointed out that position is one of three directly under council supervision, along with the town manager and town attorney.

Consequently, only council has authority to hire and fire those three jobs. The rest are under the hiring and firing purview of the town manager.

Ultimately it will be council’s decision to accept the town manager’s budget proposal and recommendation on how to achieve it.

“I work at the will of council,” Tederick said in making it clear that the Town’s six elected, well currently five elected and one appointed, town officials will have the final say on both his budget proposal and consequent personnel decisions.

We asked Tederick if the decision to slash some high or mid-ranking Town staff positions in order to couple a tax cut to a large commitment to capital improvements, was a sign of an anti-tax revenue ideology now reflected by a council majority.

“I guess you can look at it as an anti-tax council or a commitment to capital growth,” Tederick countered, adding, “These decisions were made with as much compassion as possible … I have a duty, a responsibility. It’s time to realign the government; the roads, etcetera need to be done. Council has given me a direction on infrastructure and Mayor Tewalt has made that part of his agenda. We have a choice – burden the taxpayer or right-size government.”

Following Monday’s work session, pictured here, council adjourned to closed session during which the “promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining” of employees was one topic of conversation.