Fountain Valley City Manager Fired

FOUNTAIN VALLEY —  The City Council this week fired City Manager Judy Kelsey, who was notified months ago that she would be out of a job as of today. The council voted Tuesday night, 4 to 0, with Councilman Guy Carrozzo abstaining, to fire Kelsey effective today, said Mayor George Scott in a prepared statement. He gave no explanation for her firing.

In August, Kelsey was given 90 days to find another position; the council later extended that period another 90 days.

Scott said: “Although Ms. Kelsey was at most entitled to 90 days’ notice before termination, the council allowed her until Feb. 7, 1991, and gave her the option of finding a new job and resigning before the effective date. The council regrets that it was required to take this action.”

Kelsey, who has been on medical leave since December because of heart problems, said in a Jan. 30 letter to the council that she wanted to stay on the payroll for six more weeks.

“In December, when I learned that I must have open-heart surgery . . . I offered to resign at the end of my accumulated sick leave, March 18, 1991,” said Kelsey, who had been city manager for about six years.

City Atty. Alan R. Burns said her dismissal “has nothing to do with a medical condition whatsoever. Our first notice of any medical condition came on Oct. 31, 1990.”