Hot off the wires:
“Statement of City Manager Toby Futrell regarding Austin Convention Center
“Effective April 1, 2007, Bob Hodge has been terminated from his position as Director of the Austin Convention Center for violation of City policy. This action is separate from the current Convention Center investigation by the District Attorney’s Office, and the City continues to cooperate fully in that inquiry.
“Assistant Director Hymie Gonzales has been named Acting Director and will assume oversight responsibilities for day-to-day operation of the facility. A national search for a permanent replacement will begin immediately.
“In the interim, I have also asked Assistant City Manager Rudy Garza to take on a more direct role in the business development and policy operations at the Convention
Center. In that role, he will be meeting with all Convention Center employees this week to help in the transition during this time.”
Of course, this raises more questions than it answers. The Convention Center was rumored to have accounting troubles and has recently been the subject of an audit, yet the release claims Hodge was dismissed for other reasons – possibly discovered during the Convention Center investigation? At this point, there’s no way to be sure.
UPDATE: Here’s In Fact Daily, just four days ago. Note Futrell’s reaction then:
“[The] Austin Convention Center Department Director remains on the job in spite of an investigation by the District Attorney’s Office into alleged undefined financial wrongdoing in his department. City Manager Toby Futrell said she learned a lesson during the lengthy investigation into similar allegations about the Small & Minority Business Resources Department. At the time of that investigation, department director Lino Rivera was put on administrative leave. After two years, the investigation ended. “They never cleared him, they never charged him. They just ruined his life—after two years. His reputation was destroyed,” Futrell said. She added that Rivera built up a huge debt, having to mortgage his home to pay his legal fees. “I brought him back when everything just stopped,” and he later retired, Futrell said. “But it was so detrimental to him … He never recovered from that professionally or personally. And I have never forgiven myself for how that was handled. I don’t know what I could have done but until there is a charge or I am instructed otherwise by an investigating authority, I will not be putting someone on administrative leave because of an allegation,” she concluded.”
How quickly things change.
This article appears in March 30 • 2007.