Tarrillion says Perryville owes him eight days' pay

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Eight months after the board of aldermen accepted his resignation, former police chief Keith Tarrillion wants one last paycheck.

Tarrillion, who was charged Oct. 31 with theft, forgery and making a false report, resigned in March amid allegations of professional misconduct.

As a condition of his resignation, Tarrillion was to receive his full pay and benefits through the end of his term or until he was charged with a crime.

The city did not pay Tarrillion for the most recent pay period.

At a Perryville board of aldermen meeting Tuesday night, city attorney Tom Ludwig said a lawyer representing Tarrillion had contacted him by email, claiming the city owes Tarrillion for eight days between the beginning of the pay period and the filing of charges.

Were Tarrillion an hourly employee who had worked those days, that would be true, but because he did not work during the pay period, the city owes him nothing, Ludwig told the board.

Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding between Tarrillion and the city, if he is convicted of a crime, Tarrillion will have to reimburse the city for the money and benefits he has received since his resignation.

If he is exonerated, the city will owe him back pay through April 1.

Because Tarrillion was an elected official, the city could not remove him from office without formally impeaching him.

Tarrillion's departure and the allegations that prompted it created headaches for city leaders, some of which the board sought to address with several ordinances it advanced Tuesday night.

The board heard the first reading of an ordinance establishing protocols for handling city employees' complaints of harassment by elected officials.

Under the new policy, employees would submit grievances in writing to the personnel clerk, who would forward them to the city attorney to present to the board of aldermen in closed session.

The city would then investigate and begin impeachment proceedings if the investigation substantiated the complaint.

Under the proposed ordinance, the findings of the investigation would become public should the official decide to resign rather than go through the impeachment process, as Tarrillion did in March.

The board also heard the first reading of an ordinance designed to bring the chief's qualifications in line with state policies.

The previous ordinance contained references to state laws and training programs that no longer exist, Ludwig and city administrator Brent Buerck said at a special meeting last week.

The new ordinance states training for the chief "shall be as set forth" in current Missouri law and exempts first responders from an earlier policy that required city employees to leave their positions while running for public office, bringing the city into compliance with a recent change in state law.

Also on Tuesday, the board:

* Heard the first reading of an ordinance giving the city collector, police chief and municipal judge a 1 percent raise each year during their next term of office.

* Approved an ordinance giving the board "absolute discretion" to waive noise standards in certain areas during community events.

* Heard the first reading of an ordinance setting April 8 as the date for the next municipal election and Dec. 17 through Jan. 21 as the filing period for candidates.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Perryville, MO