Barbed exchange precedes OK of Norfolk official's salary

NORFOLK

Two council members voted Tuesday against hiring Marcus Jones as the next city manager, saying his compensation package is too generous and that his hiring was shrouded in secrecy.

Jones is a former Norfolk assistant city manager and the current finance director in Richmond. He agreed last month to replace Regina V.K. Williams as Norfolk's city manager on Feb. 15. He will be paid a compensation package totaling about $240,000 a year, including an annual salary of $210,000.

The City Council voted 6-2 Tuesday in favor of Jones' salary. Councilmen Andy Protogyrou and Tommy Smigiel, who voted no, said they support Jones. However, the process that elected officials used to hire him was flawed, they said.

Mayor Paul Fraim, who negotiated with Jones, failed to communicate with them about the details of Jones' salary, they said. Fraim strongly denied their criticisms, saying he discussed Jones' compensation package in a closed session with the entire council.

Since being sworn into office on July 1, Smigiel and Protogyrou have clashed with the council majority over numerous issues, including the city's refusal to televise all council meetings and the decision to hire Jones without interviewing other candidates. Tuesday's was the most bitter public exchange to date.

Smigiel blasted the council for the "cavalier manner" in which it makes decisions.

Councilman Paul R. Riddick called Smigiel a "ninny," adding that he wanted to call him worse.

Smigiel dared him to do so.

Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot chided Smigiel, saying he was inexperienced and "you don't understand the way the council works."

Protogyrou called that comment "condescending."

Fraim said he did exactly as he was instructed "by a unanimous City Council" when he negotiated with Jones. He called Protogyrou and Smigiel's comments "over the top" and said they are not being fair to Jones.

However, Smigiel said Jones' compensation package is only slightly less than what Virginia Beach pays City Manager Jim Spore, who has been in the job for 19 years. "We are a city half the size of Virginia Beach giving almost the same dollars to a candidate with no previous experience as a city manager," he said.

Protogyrou did not object to the salary but said he is opposed to a severance agreement that Fraim negotiated with Jones. If dismissed during his first two years, Jones would receive a year's salary. If he is dismissed any year after that, he would receive nine months of pay.

Protogyrou said the council never discussed a severance agreement. Councilman Barclay C. Winn and Riddick said they did.

Regardless, Protogyrou said: "A severance package isn't appropriate for a government job. This is the city of Norfolk, not IBM."

Protogyrou and Smigiel said they also were disturbed that they were not provided a copy of a letter outlining details of Jones' financial package until late Monday. The letter, from Fraim to Jones, was written Nov. 9.

Fraim said the letter was inadvertently left out of a packet sent to council members Friday night.

Smigiel said the failure to send him the letter "is typical of the lack of communication" at City Hall.

Riddick said Smigiel "should not have wasted our time" in an open session discussing Jones' compensation. "You should have asked for a closed session," he said.

Smigiel said the Virginia Freedom of Information Act would not allow the discussion in closed session. Smigiel said the issue isn't about Jones, who he said "will bring a new energy to our government in a time that it is desperately needed."

"But I was elected to be a good steward of our taxpayers' dollars and this decision goes against that principle."