Mike Hein: He’s your problem now, Chuck

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Back in April the Tucson City Council voted to fire its city manager, Mike Hein, for cause. Tucson City Manager Mike Hein fired; to get six months’ pay

Hein was named city manager in April 2005. He also has served as a Deputy Pima County Administrator and had worked for Marana, Nogales and the City of South Tucson.  

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Hein and the city have had an extremely difficult past several months, as inaction or a series of missteps with Rio Nuevo Downtown has the Legislature considering pulling the plug on the $600 million tax-increment-financing district, or slapping heavy sanctions on it.

The city’s $44 million in reserves have been spent down to $11 million, giving the city no leeway to bridge an estimated $80 million revenue shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

City employees have challenged the manager’s office’s assertions that it didn’t know about a deficit in the city’s self-insurance fund, saying they wouldn’t have their names dragged through the mud by Hein’s office.

In addition, Hein had gotten in hot water recently with the council over $5 million in extras added to the Fourth Avenue Underpass project Downtown, with the city Transportation Department — not Rio Nuevo — having to pick up the tab. Although Hein and Transportation Director Jim Glock have questioned how much, if any, of the extra work was really requested by Rio Nuevo, the added cost ate into the department’s ability to fill potholes and conduct regular road maintenance.

The revolving door of political patronage in Pima County knows no limitations, however. Mike Hein checked in with his old boss, Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, and lo’ and behold there was a job opening with Pima County for which Mike Hein – who had just been fired for cause by the City of Tucson – was the “top recommendation” for the job. Pima hires ex-City Manager Hein (November 4, 2009):

Former Tucson City Manager Mike Hein has been hired to head the county Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

Hein will make $110,000 a year — well below the $210,000 he made as city manager, but $20,000 more than the previous emergency manager.

He was recommended by a three-member panel that interviewed six finalists. County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry made the appointment.

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In September, Hein was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol in Oro Valley. The case is still pending.

“We are in the final stages of investigation” in the case, said Deputy Pima County Attorney Bruce Chalk.

Huckelberry said Hein was the top recommendation because of his broad government management experience.

Oh really? “Political Specialist” (nice title) and Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Famer Bud Foster from KOLD 13 KOLD-TV’s Bud Foster to be inducted into Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame decided to dig a little deeper into this story than the Arizona Daily Star. Last night Foster filed this report.

It turns out the DUI was an extreme DUI (BAC of .15% or higher). Hein lied to the arresting officer saying that he had not been drinking. Hein failed both sobriety tests, and refused the breathalyzer test. He was uncooperative with the arresting officer. His blood alcohol test came back at .156%. Hein will be in court later this month to answer the charge to which he has plead not guilty.

As a department head, Hein is exempt from the merit selection rules governing most county employees. Extreme DUI, as long as it’s not on the job, is not an offense which calls for disciplinary action. It also does not affect hiring decisions. Huckelberry said it did not preclude Hein from employment.

Huckelberry says he hired Hein because he was the best qualifed applicant among six, not because of favoritism, as some have suggested, Foster asked Huckelberry drectly “is this patronage for a friend, or is this a job because of qualifications?” You guessed his response: “it’s clearly a job because of qualifications… he turned out to be most qualified…” That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

Several Supervisors on the Pima County Board of Supervisors have their doubts and still have questions. Mike Hein is your problem now, Chuck. It is your judgment that is in question.