Fired Henderson Employee Says Aide Campaigned on City Time : Politics: Ex-staffer claims her firing was due in part to her awareness of top assistant’s illegal activity.

A staff member recently fired by Councilman Bruce Henderson accused Henderson’s top aide Tuesday of engaging in political campaigning on city time, in violation of a City Charter prohibition against such activity by city employees during working hours.

Maria Ybarra claimed that she was fired from her position as a council representative Friday in part because she became aware that Jim Sills, Henderson’s top assistant, was conducting strategy sessions on the telephone with political consultants for candidate Bob Trettin.

Trettin is attempting to unseat 1st district Councilwoman Abbe Wolfsheimer in council elections Nov. 7. Henderson, whose enmity for Wolfsheimer is well known, has publicly endorsed Trettin. Ybarra said she had no knowledge of any impropriety by Henderson.

But she said that Sills’ “head started clicking and maybe (he thought) ‘she knows too much, and we ought to get rid of her,’ ” Ybarra said.

Sills and the two political consultants identified by Ybarra--Jean Andrews and Jack Orr-- denied Ybarra’s charges. Sills said his political activity on Trettin’s behalf takes place on nights and weekends, outside City Hall. Orr and Andrews concurred, but said some telephone conversations have taken place on Sills’ lunch hours.

Trettin could not be reached for comment.

Sills said he is scrupulous about separating political and city activities, insisting that Orr, Andrews, Trettin and others discuss political matters with him outside City Hall or on his home telephone. He said he has instructed the consultants to send politically related mail to his home.

Scheduling Appearances

He said his only politics-related discussions in City Hall concerned scheduling appearances for Henderson.

“Jean Andrews calls this office, and probably all (council) offices a lot,” Sills said. “She has a lot of clients, and Bob Trettin is one of them.” Andrews currently is fund raising for Trettin.

Orr said that “Jim is the only guy I know who, if I want to talk to him, I have to meet him out in the street.

“I haven’t been on the 10th floor of City Hall in at least three years,” Orr added. “I haven’t ever been in Bruce Henderson’s office.”

In a 1985 memorandum, Chief Deputy City Atty. Jack Katz said no city employee may campaign during regular city working hours and should not even give the appearance of doing so. Even on personal time, Katz said, the employee should not use city facilities, equipment or supplies for political activity.

Deputy City Atty. Cristie McGuire, who oversees election matters, said she could not comment on Ybarra’s claims without more specific information.

Ybarra’s accusations came against a backdrop of personal and job-related strife with Sills. Ybarra said, and Sills acknowledged that she was fired Friday by Henderson, who gave her two weeks to find another position.

Ybarra, a single mother with a 3-year-old son, has been employed primarily to answer telephones and open mail since Henderson became a councilman in December, 1987. Her current gross salary is $647 every two weeks, she said.

Sills said that Ybarra was fired because Henderson wanted “a different person with different skills” in her position.

Owes Sills $630

Ybarra acknowledges that she has had battles with Sills over his treatment of her in the council office. She also said she owes Sills about $630 that he has personally lent her at various times.

She offered as proof of her allegations against Sills a letter written by Orr and received in Henderson’s office Thursday. The letter, dated Sept. 29, carries Henderson’s name and asks recipients for contributions to Trettin’s campaign. In a handwritten note, it asks Sills to call Orr at Orr’s office.

Sills said he cannot be held responsible for receiving the letter in Henderson’s council office and said he admonished Orr to send political material to Sills’ home.

Orr, who described the letter as “not one of my brighter” actions, said the letter went out to Henderson’s political contributors this weekend.

“I don’t know if it was particularly wrong (to send it to Sills’ office). But I wish I hadn’t done it,” he said.