OILTON — The Oilton council members voted to terminate now-former Oilton Police Chief John Hefley following an executive session.
At the regular meeting of the City of Oilton held on Oct. 14, council members entered into executive session to discuss several matters centering on the police department — most notably the employment of Hefley.
Vice Mayor Julia Bagwell made the motion to terminate Hefley “with cause” despite having been a major advocate of Hefley in previous meetings. The motion was approved by a vote of 6-1.
AlthoughvotingtoapprovethemotionCouncil member Brian Barton stated “Regarding Chief Hefley, I still believe he’s a good man. I don’t know if the accusations are true or not” towards the end of the meeting during board member comments.
Further information on the referenced accusations had not been stated. An official statement from the city was requested but per city attorney recommendation none was given regarding the termination.
Executive session discussion also included the possible hiring of a part-time police officer, consideration of pay adjustments, and the appointment of an interim/full-time police chief.
A council majority vote resulted in the appointment of Officer Chris Kirkpatrick to the position of full-time police chief with an annual salary of $45,000 and a take-home vehicle. No action was taken on the hiring of a part-time officer and a pay increase to $14 an hour for Damien Hurt was approved.