Mayor-elect Vince Gray chose not to conduct a national search for the city’s next fire chief, he told The Washington Examiner. Instead, Gray selected a fired department leader already dealing with controversy. Gray had two months to find a new fire chief after outgoing chief Dennis Rubin made clear in October that he wouldn’t be staying with the department as the District transitioned to a new mayor. Last week, Gray announced that Kenneth Ellerbe is his pick to replace Rubin, and the mayor-elect immediately took flack from union officials, who said they were left out of the process. Wide-reaching searches for key department heads in major cities are common.
“I told [firefighter union chief Ray Sneed] I wasn’t too excited about a national search,” Gray told The Examiner. Asked why, Gray said, “I want to get permanent leadership in there. … I have been through interim leadership before, and it creates instability. I feel great about Ellerbe taking over.”
Ellerbe comes with a growing list of personal issues. He spent 27 years with the city’s fire department before leaving in August 2009 to become the fire chief for a county in Florida. Four months later, The Washington Times reported that the 49-year-old Ellerbe was on unpaid leave from D.C. He was waiting to leave the city’s employ officially on his 50th birthday so he could cash-in on a retirement package that would have provided him an additional $600,000. The deal fell through when it was reported. Last week, WTOP raised questions about Ellerbe’s saving on his taxes by declaring a home he owns in Southeast as his primary residence even as he lived in Florida. Ellerbe says he will correct the problem.
“No chief should go into the position with rumors swirling around them,” said Janet Wilmoth, editorial director for Fire Chief magazine.
Wilmoth said most cities conduct a national search, typically hiring an outside firm to select the best resumes.
Gray’s choice not to do that “sounds like it was already decided beforehand,” she said.
Sneed agreed and added there was enough time to conduct a search and have a hire ready soon after Gray came into office in January.
“I think Gray circumvented the process and … kept everybody from having input,” Sneed said.
