Former Dover clerk claims dismissal was retaliatory

DOVER - A former city employee is crying foul after she was fired less than a week after unfavorable remarks she made about the city's mayor were made public.

Former Dover city Clerk/Treasurer Laurie Katana says she was fired because she spoke to the Idaho Attorney General's Office about what she characterizes as financial improprieties on the part of Mayor Randy Curless and other city employees.

The city of Dover recently underwent a six-month investigation concerning possible misconduct in its financial dealings, but in a 427-page report, the AG's office found insufficient evidence to prove any criminal action.

In the report, Katana was critical of Curless, deputy city clerk Kym Holbert and city Councilwoman Maggie Becker for, among other things, refusing to charge the Dover Community Baptist Church for utility fees while simultaneously charging the city's other church for full services.

Parts of Katana's testimony from the report were published in an Aug. 2 Daily Bee article, and she believes the article was the key reason why, on Aug. 8, she was asked to resign and escorted out of city hall.

Katana said she was originally told she was being fired because of mistakes she had made handling the city's payroll, but said she was later told her termination was a result of being late with a report to the Idaho Department of Labor.

"I really question the timing, because they knew about the report five weeks ago and nothing was done about it," Katana said.

"Then the article comes out and I'm asked to resign."

"Both Maggie and the mayor refused to even talk to me once the article came out. Maggie wouldn't even sign my paycheck," Katana said.

Curless denies the firing had anything to do with either the AG's report or the Daily Bee article.

"There were some accounting practices that were not as the city needed to have them, but I really can't comment very much more at this point and time on that," Curless said.

Katana stands by the claims she made in the AG's report, even after the state declined to file criminal charges against anyone involved.

"I can't believe the Attorney General did not find something criminal," Katana said. "(Curless and the council) knew they were doing something wrong and they did it anyway."

Katana called the atmosphere at city hall "very dysfunctional" and questioned the leadership of both Curless and the council, calling the group "inept."

"The citizens of Dover certainly deserve more than what they're getting," she said.

Because Katana held an appointed position with the city, she could not be fired without three of the four council members voting in favor of her removal. The council met in a special session on the morning of Aug. 13 and unanimously voted to remove Katana from her position.

"I was being honest when talking to the Attorney General's Office, and I'm being punished for being honest," Katana said. "They're just using (insufficient accounting practices) as an excuse to get rid of me."