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Weeks after being told two of their colleagues regularly brought guns to work, employees at a state child support enforcement office in Norfolk demanded to know why only one had been fired, even though both violated a state policy. They also wanted to know how the state was going to keep them safe, especially while the Virginia Beach mass shooting — carried out by a city employee — was still top of mind. But their boss, Ron Harris, who had come to Norfolk from Richmond for a meeting with employees, didn’t have an answer. “Trust your coworkers,” he said at least twice in response to questions about safety during the staff meeting Monday,according to a partial recording of the meeting obtained by The Virginian-Pilot. “Trust the system,” he said after refusing to explain why one employee who carried a gun was still allowed to work, despite violating a state policy that says guns aren’t allowed in government buildings.
Daily Press
Charlottesville City Manager Tarron Richardson is up for a $10,000 raise. The City Council will conduct Richardson’s performance evaluation in a closed session prior to its meeting on Monday. Richardson started in May and his contract includes a clause for a performance evaluation this month. In October, the council held a four-hour closed session to discuss Richardson’s job performance. Councilors declined to comment at the time about the specifics of the meeting, saying only that it was being held because Richardson was approaching the six-month mark of his tenure. The reasons for the departures remains a mystery to those outside City Hall.Richardson’s time in office also has seen the departure of several high-ranking officials, including Deputy City Manager Mike Murphy. The city has cited a personnel records exemption in refusing to provide resignation letters in response to a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, although it previously has provided copies of the letters, such as that of former Clerk of Council/Chief of Staff Paige Rice.
The Daily Progress
As tensions heighten between the town and the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority, EDA Board Member Greg Harold shared his thoughts about the town government’s recent actions. At the EDA’s meeting on Friday, Harold said the town has perpetuated a “charade of partnership” with the EDA and public. The town, he said, “acts in a less than honest, non-transparent, and in a foolish manner with the money belonging to the citizens of both Front Royal and Warren County.” He said one “charade of partnership” was the town’s request for a summit with the Board of Supervisors and EDA board. “The foolishness of anyone thinking the town and county would join forces in battling and uncovering unprecedented corruption when the town itself was abusing the court system as a hedge against possible wrongdoings without any real measurable damages that equates to their $15 million claim,” Harold said.
The Northern Virginia Daily
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