Dover City Manager Dave Hugg is fired after an hours-long, first-of-its-kind public hearing.
The city’s charter requires the city manager to receive a public hearing when facing removal. That hearing came this week - a session that lasted over two hours.
Hugg was placed on administrative leave last month following growing tensions between him and Council. Council members say Hugg regularly failed to notify them of critical information. The most recent case involved threats of legal action against the city regarding a homeless shelter.
But Hugg says council and the city have not been forthcoming with information about why they are seeking to fire him - despite he and his lawyer requesting it.
“Including tonight, I have never seen the 17 complaints that were alleged to have come to me, and that I ignored. I physically have not seen them, have not read them, don’t know who they were from, or when they were received.” he said.
Hugg’s lawyer, Anthony Delcollo, called that a “trend” during this week's meeting, arguing the reasons for Hugg’s removal remained vague for most of the time that he was on leave.
As first reported by Spotlight Delaware, use of this section of the city’s charter has never been done before. Some leaders said leading up to the hearing they weren’t exactly sure what it would look like.
What Hugg’s lawyer, Anthony Delcollo, ultimately did was have those who worked with Hugg provide testimony about his work ethic- the very thing called into question by council and cited as a primary reason to oust him.
The testimony given by those Delcollo called on all praised Hugg in his service to the City of Dover- most said he was a proactive leader and expressed their belief that he should remain as the city's head administrator.
Delcollo argued that testimony should be enough for Hugg to keep his job.
“You’re confronted with a man whose character is at complete odds to these allegations to the point of individuals testifying before you today that they are possessed with an utter disbelief that these could be credible and legitimate assertions. And, [with] information directly from Mr. Hugg that, when he came aware of items, he acted.” he said.
But Council was largely unconvinced, voting in a 5-0 to remove Hugg. Councilwoman Donyale Hall abstained from voting, and council members Andre Boggerty and Roy Sudler were absent.
During the vote, Council President Fred Neil said that the removal was not a question of character, but capability, adding that he remained “very fond” of Hugg as an individual.
Delcollo noted that, had Councilman Sudler not been absent, he'd have requested that Sudler not participate in the vote due to previous comments that he'd made about Hugg
Assistant City Manager Sharon Duca now serves as interim city manager, but it remains unclear if Council is eying her as Hugg's successor.
