(Photo via City of Avondale)
By Endia Fontanez | Arizona Republic
Avondale leaders are negotiating to hire Cottonwood City Manager Ron Corbin after the City Council fired their last top executive just before Christmas.
The council cited improper tuition reimbursements and living outside the city among the reasons for terminating Charles Montoya, who is seeking nearly $6.9 million, claiming the council breached his contract and defamed him.
The decision to go with Corbin came after the council conducted a national search that netted 41 applicants, brought in two finalists to meet with the public and then interviewed the pair in a closed-door council session. While public bodies can discuss personnel matters in private, executive sessions, two legal experts say under Arizona’s Open Meeting Law the council should’ve come out in a public session when taking action. That action was directing staff to negotiate a contract with Corbin.
