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Board Fires County Oeo Director Mcfall

Board Fires County Oeo Director Mcfall  image Board Fires County Oeo Director Mcfall  image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
May
Year
1975
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Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

Suspended county official Clarence E. I McFall officially was fired Wednesday after a. hearing that he helped to arrange, but did not áttend. But an afternoon suspension hearing before county commissioners did attract somé 50 supporters of the former tor of "the county's Office of Economie Opportunity (OEO). The OEO supporters were silent during presentations by three wrtnesses for McFall and county attorney Robert E. Guenzel'.s detailed reading of commissioner charges against McFall. But the crowd erupted in emotional and angry shouts as commissioners approved a firing move by Cmsr. Catherine McClary, D-Ann Arbor. McFall's supporters shouted that the hearing was "a farce" and "a kangaroo court" as the young Ann Arbor Democrat read a prepared statement calling for "immediate termination of" McFall's employment. The OEO supporters further protested when several of the 13 commissioners supporting the firing action said the county's "case" against McFall had been reinforced by statements from McFall's own witnesses. McFall could not be reached for comment on the firing, or his reasons for skipping the hearing. However, early Wednesday, he had told News that he "doubted very much" whether he would attend. He further had sa;d he would not resign voluntarily, préferring to leave his "fate to the Board of Commissioners. They've made all the decisions in this matter anyway." McClary told The News that she had prepared the firing statement in advance of tile hearing. But ístre aiso had prepared several other resolutions to reflect any action that the Board of Commissioners might have taken. These included a cali to reinstate McFall in his former $17,000 per year post; continue his two-week suspension with pay; continue the suspension without pay;or postpone action. "I read the resolution of the opinión I supported," McClary said. "It was meant to be a formal resolution for the record. On seconct thought, I pröbably should have said something off the top of my head." Two commissioners, Ann Arbor Republicans O. Herbert Ellis and Richard G; Walterhouse, opposed the firing. They supported a defeated move to postI nnnp action on the McFall matter. Both commissioners arguea tnai me i saes in the McFall dispute, defined by most as charges of "mismanagement" and "insubordination", center on the relátionships among commissioners, the citizens' OEO Administering Board . and the OEO itself . - "All three bodies are at fault," Ellis said. "Commissioners haven't defined what they expect f f om the OEO, and the other bodies have been lax in communicating between themselves and with commissioners. Under these circumstances, I can't kick one maid when he's down." Three witnesses also stressed this point in presentations praising McFall and addressing specific charges against him. Under hearing approved. by McFall this week, McFall also chose the witnesses to speak on nis behalf. While commissioners called two others to clarify some questions, they considered McFall' s choices his primary witnesses. ■■■■■i McFall had approved hearing rules in meetings with attorney Guenzel and commissioner Chairwoman Meri Lou Murray, D-Ann Arbor. Until shortly before his hearing, McFall had indicated he would attend. But, late Wednesday morning, he told Guenzel he would not particípate. McFall's prirhary witnesses were: Ypsilanti Councilwoman Mattie Dorsey, long-time OEO worker and supporter; Monica Johnson, former OEO employé; and Aurora Trevino, acting chairwoman of the OEO Board. Trevino read only the OEO group's resolution of support for McFall. . - Dorsey told commissioners to "put yourself in McFall's place, forced to confront 15 salaries, elected officials" andl Johnson likened McFall to the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., "fighting for hu'manity and forced to right for himself." Both Dorsey and Johnson also addressed the following specific charges against McFall: - Alleged missing records of spending some $168,000 in federal money, the subject of an ongoing federal audit. Johnson said she believed all records had hpen submitted properly. She said "this should not be a topic here" until results of the audit are known. -Claims that the OEO's accounting system "ceased to exist" over the past year. Dorsey and Johnson said commissioners should have recognized "there were problems and sent help." Johnson said she had worked on accounting at the I OEO, and "it's true, things were 1 logged and there were just a few of us I working. But you shouldn't hold Mr. I McFall responsible for this." Johnson also noted results of a 1972 OEO that indicated the,need for ánothér bookkeeper at the OEO. Commissioners should have acted on this suggestioru Johnson said. Commissioners contend that McFall should have requested additional staff. -Claims that McFall's office hired a part-time employé in March without board authorizatïon. Johnson said McFall was ill and she had been directly involved in the questioned hiring. "It was a misunderstanding on my part," she said. In other áreas, OEO supporters said commissioners' claims that OEO vehicles were improperly maintained are false. Dorsey and Johnson said commissioners' claims that two buildings rented for OEO are not under county-approved leases "is an old issue." They said the OEO has usèd the buildings for several years and one in Ypsilant is "an lease" and one in Ann Arbor is "a month to month agreement, never really produced in black and white." Commissioners' supporting the firing said the witnesses did not deny the cömplaints against McFall. Cmsr. James R. Walter, D-Ypsilanti, said: "You've given explanations of things that went wrong under Mr. McFall's jurisdiction. And, as far as I'm concerned, the witnesses have supported the board's contentions of mismanagement." Most commissioners agreed that McFall's decisión not to attend the hearing hurt his case. Even Walterhouse, who supported postponement of action, said: "His absence was conspicuous. It definitely hurt." And McClary noted: "He would have done better if he defended himself. I don't know if he could have introduced i documentation to.combat ours, but there would have been a chance if hecajjjj