Colfax notice dropped chief perjury charge

The city's May 29 notice letter to former Colfax Police Chief Rick McNanny dropped the city's contention that he had committed perjury, one of the two causes cited in his Jan. 17 termination as police chief.

The letter was the object of an extended meeting of the Colfax Civil Service board session June 3 in which board members declined to recognize the letter and to continue with the hearing on the appeal which was filed by McNannay after his termination.

The city board decided June 4 to drop perjury, one of two causes listed in the termination, from consideration.

The mayor's May 29 notice letter to McNannay stated information gathered after his termination "led the city to conclude that it is unlikely that you committed perjury."

The perjury topic dealt with McNannay submitting certification reports related to hiring officers to do duty shifts for the department.

The letter noted perjury served "as the crux for the city's decision to terminate" McNannay as chief, and since it was unlikely to be confirmed in the civil service appeal, the city decided a less severe discipline, demotion, was justified.

The letter informed McNannay he was demoted to police officer as of the Jan. 17, the date he was terminated, and on the next scheduled pay date this month he would receive pay for the officer position level from Jan. 17 through the June 9 pay period.

He was ordered to report back for duty with the department June 10.

A second topic at the June 4 Colfax civil service McNannay session involved a dispute which surfaced during a deposition session of Chris Mathis, interim Colfax city administrator, at the Spokane office of attorney Robert Dunn, who is representing McNannay on the appeal of his firing last Jan. 17.

The deposition session had been terminated by the city’s attorney, Ronald Van Wirt, on an objection that the questions being asked extended to topics unrelated to McNannay’s termination as police chief.

Van Wirt at the June 2 session said he attempted to contact the commission members at the time he cut off the deposition.

The Colfax civil service board June 2 ruled the deposition could resume.

Depositions are taken by attorneys in advance of trials to determine in advance how potential witnesses relate to the subject of the scheduled hearing.

Accounts of McNannay’s dismissal said Mathis accompanied Mayor Todd Vanek to McNannay’s office last October when he was told he was being placed on paid administrative leave.