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Former City Manager Jaime Fontes was fired June 15 after the Greenfield City Council passed a motion to terminate his contract. Fontes was city manager for just over a year, having started the position last May.
GREENFIELD — Greenfield City Council has fired City Manager Jaime Fontes after a closed session vote during a special meeting Friday night.
In a 3-2 vote, the council passed a motion to terminate Fontes “without cause pursuant to paragraph three of the employee agreement.”
Greenfield Mayor Jesus Olvera-
Garcia and Councilmembers Lance Walker and Leah Santibanez voted in favor, while Mayor Pro-tem Avelina Torres and Councilmember Yanely Martinez were the dissenting votes.
No other comments about the decision were made by the council following the announcement.
Fontes was city manager for just over a year, having started the position last May.
Before the closed session, nearly all the public comment at the June 15 meeting was in support of keeping Fontes.
Fontes’ attorney, John Klopfenstein, said they are planning to sue the city.
“This is a disgrace,” Klopfenstein said. “Tonight we find ourselves here because of one reason, and one reason only — because Mr. Fontes is the kind of city manager who will not terminate a department head at the request of a council member, which I want to remind you is illegal.”
He continued, telling the council, “Mr. Fontes is the type of man that is full of integrity. He was asked by one of you to fire a department employee, and he said no. The reason he said no is he knew it was illegal, and he wasn’t going to engage in illegal activities like you. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
According to reports, Fontes was placed on administrative leave last Wednesday following a city council meeting the night before.
“I have advised Mr. Fontes that he has a great lawsuit against the City of Greenfield if in fact he is terminated,” Klopfenstein said.
The city’s finance director, Paul Wood, will serve as interim city manager, as approved by the council that same night.
