McAlester City Council Suspends City Manager

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- McAlester City Council members vote unanimously to suspend new City Manager Susan Monroe over a $2,500 pay raise she received in January.<br/><br/>The council also proposed in

Thursday, April 27th 2006, 6:18 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- McAlester City Council members vote unanimously to suspend new City Manager Susan Monroe over a $2,500 pay raise she received in January.

The council also proposed in a resolution Wednesday that Monroe be removed from her position for allegedly changing the terms of her employment agreement without authorization.

She has 15 days to reply in writing and request a public hearing or councilors will request a hearing to adopt a final resolution to remove her from the job within 30 days.

One version of Monroe's contract makes her eligible for a raise after six months, but another doesn't do so until after a year.

Monroe says her contract was altered by verbal agreement over the phone during a city council executive session before she accepted the job last year.

Mayor Don Lewis vouched for her explanation, but councilors say they don't recall the agreement.

Her predecessor, Randy Green, was fired and convicted in federal court on five counts of embezzlement for collecting about $458,000 in unused leave time from the city.