TAFT, TX — Taft's Police Chief John Landreth will continue his 30-day suspension without pay after a split vote at the city council meeting Tuesday night.
"Here I sit, suspended without pay for the first time in my whole 30-year career, and I've had a hell of a career," said Landreth during the city council meeting Tuesday evening. "I don't know if I even want to continue to work for you people. If you can treat me like this, you can treat anyone like this."
WATCH THE CHIEF'S FULL STATEMENTS TO THE COUNCIL HERE
The vote to change the Chief's pay status was split with Mayor Leonard Vasquez and Council member Isaiah Garza in favor of paying the Chief, and Council members Chris Keeney and Alonzo Molina voting to keep the suspended without pay in place.
"We have someone alleged to have committed some fraudulent time cards and then there's an employee that actually committed a city ordnance, so it's not the same," said Keeney.
The ordnance Keeney was referencing is in the new Taft Personnel Policy (part 1, part 2), only just given to KRIS 6 Tuesday evening by an outside source after requesting it almost 2 weeks ago. It says, in part, "Official statements to a news media representative must be referred up the chain of supervision to the City Manager or a duly designated Public Information Officer."
Landreth was placed on leave without pay earlier this month after he reported possible criminal violations by the city secretary. He first reported the violations to city officials, including the City Manager, but after nothing was done, he informed to KRIS 6 News. City Manager Kandi Hubert claimed she was unaware of the situation until learing it from KRIS 6, even though text messages prove she was informed.
The city secretary of Taft has been arrested and charged with falsifying government records with intent to defraud. She has posted bail and is currently on paid leave.
City council also decided not to hire an independent investigator into the secretary's overtime hours, with some saying they wanted to wait to see what the sheriff's investigation uncovered.
KRIS 6 was told last week that the case had been handed over to the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office.
