Jeffrey Bivens, now former Finance Director for the City of Washougal

was notified Monday that he does not qualify for the job he was hired for as Finance Director of the City of Washougal.

The Washougal council as the employer, in essence changed the job description of a current employee by requiring the position of Finance Director to carry a bond of $2.5 million.

 

Now, the city council will negotiate a severance package (a pay off) of your tax dollars, in an effort to prevent Mr. Bivens from suing the city.

 

The council is attempting to cover its butt with the terms " with or without notice or cause...your employment with the city is at-will..." and has forgotten employment agreements are also entered into in good faith.

Imagine if you were hired by an employer and several months later your boss decides that your position requires a Masters degree. oops, since you don't have one and can't obtain one within 60 days, your boss terminates your employment. Looks like you got a raw deal.

In Bivens case, he gets the raw deal and so do the Washougal tax pays...as they will be the ones flipping the bill for his severance package. Maybe Bivens wasn't the right person for the job - maybe it was a hiring mistake? But should the taxpayers have to pay the price ?