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West Jordan City Attorney Jeff Robinson has declined an invitation to return to work and submitted his resignation more than two months after he was abruptly placed on paid administrative leave without explanation.
"He has decided not to return," Bryce Haderlie, acting city manager, said Tuesday. "We know he's resigned so he won't be back."
Robinson's decision was not unexpected.
City council members have been working with attorneys in recent weeks to negotiate a severance package with Robinson. A draft circulated last month would offer him between six and 12 months of salary, a letter of recommendation, and a news release clarifying that he had not been the target of an investigation.
The same day Robinson was escorted from his office by Police Chief Doug Diamond on the direction of Mayor Kim Rolfe, the mayor turned over documents to the Salt Lake County district attorney's office seeking an investigation into the hiring of former Councilman Justin Stoker as deputy director of the city's public works department. Also that day, information surfaced that the Davis County attorney's office was looking into other, unspecified matters in city government.
Rolfe said his action in having Robinson placed on leave was in accord with a majority of the city council, on which he serves as a member. But other city leaders, including Haderlie, dispute that, pointing to state and city code that designates the city manager as being in charge of administrative affairs.
Haderlie declined comment on any ongoing negotiations with Robinson over severance.
"We're just taking care of the paperwork to let him move on with his life and wishing him all the best," said Haderlie.
"At this point in time, Jeff has not brought anything to our attention in resigning. We would just be responsible to give him his final check and payment for any of his vacation time and things like that that are due to him under our policy," Haderlie said. "We've not had any other requests or communication from him to negotiate anything else, would be the official statement right now."
West Jordan City's acting city attorney, Darien Alcorn, will continue in that role for the time being. The city council has hired an executive recruiter to find applicants for a permanent city manager and that decision is expected in the coming weeks.
Haderlie said it will be up to the incoming executive to appoint a new city attorney.