STRUTHERS After election warning, mayor fires city official

The mayor supported theauditor-elect's opponent.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
STRUTHERS -- Mayor Daniel Mamula said he has worked alongside city officials whom he didn't like in the past without incident, and he expects the same when Tina Morell becomes the city's auditor in January.
Mamula sent a letter Thursday to Morell firing her as the city's deputy tax commissioner, effective Monday. Morell, who has held the position for the past 12 years, serves at the mayor's pleasure.
Morell won the Democratic primary Tuesday for the city auditor's position, defeating 20-year incumbent Mary Ellen Jones, whom Mamula supported.
"I'll work with her; we don't have to be friends," Mamula said. "I've worked with people who haven't liked me before. I'm bigger than that."
Warned about consequences
Mamula said he urged Morell not to run against Jones and told her if she did so, there would be consequences. Morell said Mamula asked her not to seek the post, but never told her she would be fired if she didn't honor his request.
While her decision to seek the auditor's post was the overriding decision behind the firing, Mamula said he also was upset that Morell took credit for certain aspects of the city's financial success though she had no involvement in them. Morell denied the allegations.
Mamula said he wanted to fire Morell before the primary because her candidacy showed disloyalty toward his administration. But Mamula said he opted to wait until now to fire her because to do so earlier would have helped her campaign.
"I felt if I fired her, it would play into her political hand," Mamula said. "I didn't want to give her more artillery, and energize her people. I would have terminated her whether she won or lost."
Election results
Morell apparently didn't need the help as she captured 58 percent of the vote against Jones.
Mamula said he has the authority to fire Morell without justification.
Morell declined to comment on the firing because she hasn't yet received Mamula's letter.
Despite the problems between the two, Morell said their working relationship will be professional once she starts her four-year term as auditor in January. She has no opposition in the November general election.
"The people elected me to do a job, and I will do it," she said. "But I'm surprised to see my firing in the newspaper before I got notification."
skolnick@vindy.com