Brief by Central Staff
Buena Vista politics – October 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine
The saga of Buena Vista’s police chief and town administrator might last as long as Salida’s golf-course expansion, and we’ve been writing about that issue since Colorado Central first appeared in March of 1994.
The most recent development came Sept. 9, when the town board of trustees unanimously voted to fire David Clyne, the town administrator, for insubordination because he had refused the trustees’ order to rehire Jim Tidwell as police chief.
Clyne fired Tidwell early this year, on grounds that have not been made public because Tidwell has not given permission to release his personnel records.
The firing inspired protests in Buena Vista, and when the town board backed Clyne, petitions began circulating for a recall election — which resulted in a new majority on the board of trustees.
The new board then voted to order Clyne to rehire Tidwell. Clyne refused, saying he could not do so in good conscience, thus leading to the vote to fire Clyne.
Is that the end of it? Probably not. According to the Chaffee County Times, Buena Vista’s weekly newspaper, Clyne’s attorney — Jerald Devitt, of the Golden law firm Myers, Bradley, Devitt, and Arp — is considering a suit against the town, perhaps alleging wrongful termination.
We figure this one ought to be good for at least a decade.
