City Council to Hold Special Session on Hawkey

The Pasadena City Council will begin 1998 as it ended 1997: debating the future of City Manager Phil Hawkey in a special session today.

But now after a month that saw the council fire Hawkey only to rescind its action a short time later, the city manager has turned the tables on the elected officials. He is demanding a better contract that guarantees him a big payout if he is axed before October 1999.

The council voted to retain Hawkey on Dec. 20 after Councilman Sidney Tyler, who 12 days earlier had voted with a 4-3 majority to fire Hawkey, changed his mind and decided to support the city manager.

However, Hawkey now wants the city to pay a penalty in the hundreds of thousands of dollars if he is ousted before October 1999. He is also demanding that the city pay $25,000 in legal fees he incurred in the monthlong drama, provide an extra three weeks’ vacation and refund a $70,000 down payment he made on his home.

“It could cost us close to $1 million to get rid of him even if he did something wrong,” said Mayor Chris Holden, who along with council members William Paparian and Joyce Streator voted to fire Hawkey. “It’s a totally absurd and a totally outrageous proposal,” he said. “This would be a gift of taxpayers’ money.”

Councilman Paul Little, a Hawkey supporter, said the manager’s request is a reasonable one that only seeks to provide job security to the end of his contract.