MARK MOREY Warren Gay Chief, East Valley Fire Department Links   E-mail             Print            Advertisement

YAKIMA -- East Valley's fire chief, already on administrative leave since March, will remain on that status until his contract ends in August, district commissioners decided in a split vote Monday night.

The move came after two weeks of negotiation between Chief Warren Gay and the commissioners failed to produce a severance agreement.

Gay's resignation in late April had been contingent on approval of the severance deal.

Gay has had a rocky tenure since joining the district in 2006 because of several disputes involving him, the commissioners, career staff and volunteers.

Gay has said he was trying to correct entrenched behavior and implement initiatives requested by the commissioners;
others said he was heavy-handed.

Commission Chairman Joe Gendron and member Les Riel approved extending the leave. Member Dan McNulty opposed it. McNulty had also objected to the original resignation deal, based on his belief that the chief should have been allowed a chance to return from leave after agreeing to address concerns about his management style.

In a mutually approved news release, board members said they had hoped to reach an agreement with Gay in order to avoid future disagreements over his employment with the district.

According to the statement, a majority of the commissioners "determined that the district needed to proceed with new leadership with a different set of management skills. The Board recognizes that Chief Gay was faced with a number of challenging issues when he accepted the position and appreciates his efforts to address many of these issues.

"Ultimately, the Board of Commissioners is responsible to the men and women that serve this district and to the citizens of this district. It is with these responsibilities in mind that the Board has made this difficult decision to move forward."

Gay earlier said he intended to sue the district over his treatment regardless of whether he remained on the job. He was out of town Monday night and could not be reached.

His annual salary was about $76,000, for an average monthly paycheck of $6,350.

Mark Morey can be reached at 577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.