.jpg)
Former City of Plattsburgh Fire Chief James Squires Vindicated 100%.
The Opinion and Award include positive statements of Chief Squires Professionalism, Honesty and his attempts to maintain an open and transparent system.
Impartial Arbitrator Sheila S. Cole states:
“Throughout his testimony, Chief Squires impressed me as a person of Integrity”.
“He was forthright about his work routine, including absences from the department during the workday.”
Below is a statement from Mr. Squires and attached to this article is the entire Opinion & Award, just click on Squires Decission.pdf at the bottom
James H. Squires June 21, 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
On June 17, 2009 an arbitrator’s decision was handed down in my case against the City of Plattsburgh for breach of contract. The case was initiated after the Cities failure, at the time of my retirement in October, 2007, to fulfill the terms of my employment agreement. The agreement called for payment for my accrued vacation and sick leave at my retirement. The City refused to comply, sighting my alleged misuse of compensatory time during the fifteen years that I was Fire Chief and made several public statements accusing me of wrong doing and even fraud against the City and taxpayers pointing to my use of compensatory time. Both parties agreed to take the case to an independent arbitrator.
The arbitrator found and I quote “Nothing that Chief Squires did with respect to comp time was covert. All his actions are at odds with the notion of fraud that the City suggests”. She also added that, “Chief Squires instituted the practice of keeping and submitting to the Employer, written records of the hours he claimed as compensatory time and his initiatives have increased transparency in the City of Plattsburgh concerning employee and managerial use of time in the Fire Department”.
After 38 years of service to the City, 15 years of which were as Fire Chief, it is sad that I had to leave under a cloud of suspicion due to Mayor Kasprzak’s politics of personal destruction.
I am very pleased with the decision and feel vindicated of the unjust accusations that were placed against me. Nothing, however, will ever take away the pain and suffering that my family and I had to endure during that period of time as a result of my employer’s public accusations. Now, finally after almost two years, it is over.
James H. Squires
Fire Chief, Retired
.
Download:
Squires Decision.pdf
.jpg)
