LONG LIST OF GOODBYES: Death, Layoffs, Mass Retirements At City Hall

by Michael Monks
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From the moment Commissioner Sherry Carran wept during the opening prayer, it was clear that Tuesday night would be no ordinary Covington City Commission meeting. Once all the shuffling of employment situations, including retirements, layoffs, eliminations, a demotion, a termination, a resignation and an unexpected death, the meeting lived up to that unordinary expectation.

Eleven members of the fire department, three members of the police force, two employees from the finance department, and two from public improvement announced their retirements. All were accepted unanimously save for the two longer serving employees from public works, whom Mayor Denny Bowman did not vote to accept their resignation.


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"This is not Tom's choice to retire," Bowman said, referring to Tom Overbay, who's served the City since 1973. "You weren't ready yet," the Mayor continued, addressing Charlie Menke, who's been with the public improvement department since 1972. Bowman indicated that he believed both men were forced to retire because of a budget deficit that the Mayor still believes could have been avoided.

The other contentious moment was also the result of an employment shift due to budget cuts. Public improvement employee John Helphinstine agreed to a demotion (to Technician III) and a cut in pay of a reported $22,000 annually, in order to remain employed.

"He's been here twenty-eight years and should not be on any layoff list," Bowman charged. "I'd've seen the City in court because this is wrong. No department heads agreed to a cut in pay but this man did. I said, John (Helphinstine), take them to court and I'll testify for you."

Helphinstine, according to the Mayor, agreed to the cut because of a recent home purchase and because he has a young daughter.



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Other employees were cut as was one vacant position, including an animal control officer and a clerk, both within public improvement and a clerk in the police department. The commission also approved the termination of firefighter James P. Navin.

The commission also acknowledged the sudden death of Jim Mann, a public improvement employee who died Sunday. According to his obituary, Mann was 56 and will be buried Wednesday.

Carran made multiple references to Tuesday's meeting being part of a "tough night". "Times have changed," Carran said. "I hope employees understand the layoffs were not easy. There were some who thought (the budget deficit) wasn't real."

Following months of debate over health care and the public employees' unions, the new plan for non-union workers' health care was unveiled. The City continues to talk to the unions about adopting a similar plan.