According to previous reporting, Sanford placed an item on an Oct. 25 meeting to discuss McCorquodale’s job performance. McCorquodale said previously he was away on a camping trip and was not present at the October meeting. Browe spoke out at the meeting, saying HR was uninformed of an investigation and she claimed the proper channels for an investigation were not followed.
McCorquodale, who was the city's assistant city administrator previously, was appointed interim city administrator May 31 following the termination of Richard Tramm as city administrator by council, according to previous reporting.
On Nov. 8 meeting, Sanford claimed he proceeded with an internal investigation of McCorquodale led by Chief Anthony Solomon due to strife between McCorquodale and Solomon and McCorquodale and the city’s code enforcer as well as permitting issues.
However, Solomon said during the Nov. 8 meeting he believes Sanford misunderstood him, and he said he and McCorquodale do not have any conflict. Solomon also said he instructed Sanford to hand over all report findings to McCorquodale to allow him 72 hours to respond to the accusations. The chief confirmed he found nothing criminal in his investigation.
However, Sanford said he denies that Solomon instructed him to hand over the report findings; McCorquodale was not privy to any investigation information until the Nov. 8 meeting.
“You may not remember [instructing McCorquodale to receive the report], but for me it’s routine,” Solomon said to Sanford during the meeting. “It’s just a way an investigation goes. ... If you accuse a firefighter or police officer ... you have to give that person that complaint. ... It’s a hard thing for anyone to come into any situation and not know what they’ve been accused of.”
According to Solomon, McCorquodale was unaware there was an investigation happening until Solomon confirmed it ahead of the Nov. 8 meeting. Browe said in an interview, HR—the department she oversees—is supposed to be notified of an internal investigation, where she then notifies the employee.
Sanford ended the agenda item by agreeing to allow McCorquodale to review the report. Once he has reviewed, the agenda item will be placed on a future council meeting agenda again.
“This is a situation I’m not comfortable with at all,” Council Member Cheryl Fox said during the Nov. 8 meeting. “I would have never volunteered to be the interim city administrator. ... [McCorquodale] got thrown into the investigation pretty quickly. ... He has been wearing many hats, and I just want to say thank you [to McCorquodale].”
Before the meeting concluded, the council briefly addressed a second agenda item that was set for closed session considering Browe. During the meeting, Sanford said due to Browe “breaking quorum” Oct. 25 by speaking on an agenda item without permission, he felt inclined to review her position.
During the meeting Browe and Sanford exchanged words on Browe speaking out during the Oct. 25 meeting, and Browe followed by asking the police to escort her out of the Nov. 8 meeting.
“I felt this was just a retaliation because I made the mayor look bad or had exposed his [untruthfulness] and wrong doing on the 25th,” Browe said in a Nov. 9 phone call. “[Placing my position on review] was a threat to me and my employment.”
According to Browe, council members said after the meeting they did not want her position on the agenda. According to Browe she has been in local government for 20 years, and city secretary since 2016. She said she is still currently employed as city secretary and carried on with her duties Nov. 9.
McCorquodale was unable to respond by time of publication.
