More Intrigue and Duplicity in San Luis

San Luis wants severance packages back
BY BRYON WELLS, SUN STAFF WRITER
Dec 20, 2006

The city of San Luis plans to go to court to retrieve severance packages given to six current and former city employees, according to legal documents released Tuesday that say the money was illegally given.

The legal complaint, filed Dec. 15 in Yuma County Superior Court, names 13 current and former city council members and city employees and asks for $297,378 — the cumulative value of the six outstanding severance packages.

San Luis Mayor Juan Carlos Escamilla said he and other council members elected in May had made no secret that they would go after the money once they took office. Escamilla said they believe the defendants were not justified to receive the money, and the legal complaint explains why.

"The first day we took office, one of the first things to do was to hire an outside attorney to get the money back," Escamilla said.

"The recipients were friends and political allies of the outgoing city council members," the claim to the insurance pool said. "The city council discussed the severance packages in executive sessions and expedited the process in order to assure their approval before a new city council assumed control."

Bill Cordova, husband of former city administrator Rosalicia Cordova, said his wife was traveling on Wednesday and could not be reached for comment. Cordova said he wants to distance himself from the severance issue because he is involved in the recall campaign against the mayor and three council members.