Mabton council upset about being left in dark

MABTON -- A little communication would go a long way.

That's what City Council members here are saying to Mayor Velva Herrera.

Council members are complaining that recent hiring decisions by the mayor, even if legal, are creating a bitter work environment.

"It's like a slap in the face," said Councilwoman Vera Zavala, a longtime friend of the mayor's.

"I think there's a lot of mistrust ... because of a lack of communication," Zavala said.

In the latest instance, Herrera promoted Police Chief Robert Perales from a part-time employee to a full-time chief as of July 1 without telling council members. Perales was fired from his job as Granger police chief earlier this year for several alleged civil service violations.

Herrera's decision is effective only until the end of the year, when the city must consider next year's budget, but it raised questions because the city laid off a police officer and public works employee on Jan. 1 to balance the 2008 budget.

Council members learned about Herrera's decision at the July 22 council meeting, three weeks after it took effect, from an anonymous tip by a resident, said Mario Martinez, a Mabton councilman.

Herrera and Perales did not return repeated phone messages from the Yakima Herald-Republic over the past several days.

The mayor does not have to tell council members about all decisions.

In a strong-mayor form of government like Mabton's, hiring and firing decisions are solely the mayor's. However, council members must approve contracts and set the budget.

Most mayors update council members on hiring searches and often let them interview candidates to offer opinions and ideas. When the city of Prosser, for example, recently hired City Administrator Charlie Bush, Mayor Paul Warden asked the final candidates to interview with committees that included department heads and council members.

A process like that would have smoothed a lot of feathers, Zavala said.

Martinez agreed: "Communication would have helped big time."

They point to other examples of miscommunication and tension:

* In March, Herrera hired Kitty Zavala Curtiss, the city clerk, without any meetings with the city council. The council knew the city had a search going but did not get to ask Curtiss any questions, Zavala said.

* This summer, Curtiss and Perales applied for administrators' union representation without telling the council. The mayor knew but did not tell council. Council members still must approve the contract, but if they knew about the application, they would have been able to appeal. It's too late now.

* In April, Councilman Angel Reyna questioned Herrera during a council meeting about her water bill being six months' past due. Herrera grew so flustered, she terminated the meeting.

* In a later special council meeting to discuss changes to the city's water payment ordinance, council members had questions for city attorney John Maxwell. Maxwell did not attend because he did not know there was a meeting that night.

Herrera told council members on July 22 that Perales' additional hours won't put the city over budget because she is using tax revenue from Yakima County's law and justice tax and the $500 per month Mabton used to pay the city of Granger for equipment and vehicle use, when Perales also served as the police chief there.

The mayor said the city is shorthanded right now and needs more of Perales' time because one of Mabton's officers is away at the training academy while others are taking vacation mandated by their union contract. She also told council members she researched Perales' roughly $4,000-per-month salary based on the salaries in other small cities in the state.

Though Perales is now working full time, Mabton is not paying additional benefits, Martinez said.

Herrera's explanations make sense, but council members said they don't like how it looks.

"That's great that we have a full-time police chief ... but for them to say that it couldn't be done for the past 21/2 years and now all of a sudden we need it right now?" Martinez asked.

Zavala stressed that she thinks highly of Perales' work so far. If the city can one day hire a permanent full-time chief, Zavala hopes Perales applies.

"But making a position for him (now), I don't agree with that," she said.

* Ross Courtney can be reached at 930-8798 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.

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