Texas Fire Chief Resigns Amidst Nepotism Allegations

Posted by: Curt Varone October 24, 2014 0

The fire chief of Travis County Emergency Services District No. 4 has resigned under pressure from the district board after it was revealed that his two daughters and his future son-in-law were on the payroll. Flo Soliz resigned effective Monday. He had been fire chief since 2010.

 

What is unclear from news reports is whether this was simply another firefighter being caught-up in a well-intentioned but overly-broad nepotism policy, or whether ethical boundaries had actually been crossed in terms of hiring and supervision.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
© Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved. | FireLawBlog.com & Curt Varone | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
x

Check Also

NJ Court Upholds Removal of Firefighter From Promotional List

The Appellate Division of New Jersey Superior Court has upheld a decision to remove a firefighter from a promotional list based on his poor disciplinary record. John Shaw sought to challenge his removal from the promotional list for lieutenant in the Belleville Fire Department, claiming it was politically based due to his record as a Democrat conflicting with the Republican-leaning administration.

NY Chief Challenges Removal

The fire chief of the Wading River Fire District who was removed by the district’s Board of Fire Commissioners last November, has filed suit alleging a violation of his statutory and constitutional due process rights. Fire Chief Kevin Berg was initially suspended and then removed as fire chief, all without notice of the reason for these actions, or an opportunity to respond.