GASTONIA, N.C. -- In the first hour of their first meeting, the Gastonia City Council made some bold moves. First on the docket, the City Manager was fired on the spot.
There are five new city councilmen in Gastonia and in their first meeting the new council voted to fire the city manager, James Palenick.
It was a move that shocked former Mayor Jennie Stultz, who just left office on Monday. Stultz says Palenick was doing exactly what was asked of him so he shouldn't have been fired.
My expectation would have been that this City Council would have given him an opportunity to work for them, said Stultz.
But councilman James Gallagher says it wasn't necessarily his job performance, rather a cover letter written by Palenick seeking a job in Arizona in 2010. That letter was leaked to the public.
In that letter it said that he and his family did not mix well with the culture and traditions of Gastonia itself and the people took offense to that, said Gallagher.
Palenick, meanwhile, said he was shocked by the decision. He gave NewsChannel 36 a copy of that letter, where he actually praised his current job.
I have been well received and respected in the community and am privileged to work for a highly civil and respectful governing body, the letter stated.
He continued to say his position was secure and he had no desire to jeopardize that situation except that neither I nor my family feel personally connected to the culture, philosophy or traditions of the area.
He continues to say unless a can't miss opportunity were to come.
Now Stultz says the city has to pay more than $100,000 between Palenick s $70,000 severance as well as the search for a new city manager.
I myself would like to promote from within, so I don't know why it would be that expensive, Gallagher noted.
The only two re-elected council members who voted to keep Palencik said it was a costly abrupt move.
Other new council members did not returned calls for comment from NewsChannel 36.
