By David DeKunder
Staff Writer

A Cibolo councilmember has resigned his seat to protest the forced resignation of the city’s former police chief.

Councilmember Bob Hicks said he decided to give up his seat after the forced resignation of Police Chief Mark Riffe on June 13. Hicks’ letter of resignation, submitted to the city June 18, was officially accepted by City Council at its June 24 meeting.

“It (resignation) was over the situation and methods in which Chief Riffe was terminated and forced to resign,” Hicks said.

When Riffe submitted his resignation to City Manager Todd Parton, the ex-chief stated that he would officially retire June 30. But at a special June 17 council meeting, Riffe said he was called into Parton’s office at 9 a.m. that day and told to resign by 5 p.m. or be fired.

Parton appointed Tom Curd, Police Department criminal investigator, as interim chief.

Citing city policy, Parton has not commented on the details concerning Riffe’s sudden resignation.

Riffe said he was given no warning that his job may be in jeopardy.

“I had no indication beforehand,” Riffe said at the June 17 meeting. “I was given nothing in writing. I asked why, but was not told why. I am shocked and confused. I don’t know what happened.”

Hicks, who served on the council for over a year and had just been re-elected to a two-year term in May, said he considers Riffe a close friend.

“I have known the chief for several years,” said Hicks, who was a special agent in the Air Force for 30 years. “I worked with him in law enforcement for 20 years. I never found any reason to question his integrity and honesty, and he was always professional.”

Hicks said the way Parton handled Riffe’s departure violates the city’s personnel policy.

“The city’s policy dealing with employees says do what’s right, instead of doing it expeditiously,” he said. “The situation was handled expeditiously instead of the right way.”

Hicks said Riffe was never given a consistent yearly evaluation on his job performance from the city manager.

Parton said he tries to give annual job evaluations to city employees, but that he has fallen behind on that because of other city business. The city manager said he gave Riffe an evaluation in 2006 and signed it, but that Riffe himself never signed it.

Riffe said he did not sign the evaluation because he never saw it until he made a request to the city for it after he resigned in June.

“In my view I was never evaluated,” Riffe said, “because it was never done orally or in writing (from Parton).”

Hicks said he decided to get off the council because he felt he could no longer serve in an environment in which Parton’s management style was acceptable.

“I can’t serve when that type of behavior was allowed,” Hicks said. “Based on the facts of the case, I didn’t see any hope of anything changing.”

Mayor Pro Tem Mark Winn said he shared Hicks’ concerns about how Riffe’s departure was handled, but that the decision to hire or fire ultimately rests with Parton.