City Agrees to Reimburse Down Payment to Official

The City Council has agreed to assume the mortgage on City Manager Phil Hawkey’s house and reimburse a $70,000 down payment to him when he leaves city employment.

The council also agreed Friday to amend Hawkey’s contract so that he receives a year’s severance pay with benefits if he is fired for anything but cause before his contract expires in October 1999.

But at Friday’s meeting, Hawkey’s attorney said his client also wants the city to provide an additional three weeks of paid vacation and pay $25,000 in legal fees after the council fired him and promptly reversed itself last month.

Hawkey has said the vote to curtail his tenure amounted to an ambush and he would consider his legal options.

“We are waiting for Phil Hawkey to tell us when we want to meet next to settle this,” said City Councilman Paul Little.

Council members Little, William Crowfoot, Ann-Marie Villicana and Sidney Tyler also voted Friday to acquire Hawkey’s $600,000 Pasadena home. The city had already paid $366,000 to help Hawkey buy the house.

Mayor Chris Holden and Councilwoman Joyce Streator voted against the home deal, calling it a misuse of taxpayer money. Councilman William Paparian was absent. Holden, Streator and Paparian favor Hawkey’s firing.