After several Closed meetings recently the Cameron Park Communirty Service District (CPCSD) is looking for a new manager after the abrupt resignation of manager Mary Cahill. The circumstances are not completely availble at this time, but the District also hired a Labor Relations law firm.
On Oct. 12, 2016 the board voted in closed session to retain the services of Liebert, Cassidy and Whitmore, a firm specializing in labor law. According to the report from that session, the firm was hired,”… to conduct an investigation regarding employment allegations received by the District.”
On April 6, after a closed session meeting of the CPCSD Board of Directors, the District’s staff was notified that Cahill was on administrative leave.
The Mountain Democrat reported, “The CPCSD Board of Directors held several closed meetings in recent months regarding the general manager position, however no information was reported out from those sessions. Discussions relating to employee matters such as “evaluation of performance, discipline or dismissal of a public employee or to hear complaints or charges brought against the employee by another person or employee” are held privately unless the employee requests a public hearing, according to California Government Code Section 54957(B)(1).”
On April 10, CPCSD President Scott McNeil reported that Cahill tendered her resignation. He`added the she will not receive a severance package.When asked`about details McNeil said, “The attorney has advised that since it’s a personnel issue, I can’t comment on it.”
The Placerville Newswire has submitted a Freedom of Information request to report additional details.
The district is now looking for an interim general manager until the position can be filled permanently.
Cahill was hired in late September 2011, a 20-year parks and recreation veteran. Cahill was hired at $85,000 a year starting on Oct. 3, 2011.
Cahill’s resumé included a four-years stint as the Chico Area Recreation and Park District’s general manager, six years as the Sunrise Recreation and Parks District’s superintendent of Recreation and Community Services and she also held various recreation-related positions in Mammoth Lakes.
Mary Cahill was fired from the Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) “without cause,” according to a press release from CARD attorney Jeff Carter. Cahill could not be reached for comment by press time. Cahill didget severance pay equal to one year’s pay and benefits, totaling about $100,000 when she left CARD.
Cahill is no stranger to controversy. A few years ago Gerald Lillpop wrote,
“So the question again is, “What has the general manager done to warrant an extension of her $120,000 a year contract?” How is the Cameron Park CSD in better financial shape then before she was hired? You sat at the August board meeting and listened to the recreation manager’s report that the usage and revenues for the community center are lower this year than last. You heard how the attendance and revenues for the Summer Spectacular have declined every year since the three of you voted to allow the general manager to take this event over. Yet you have seen fit to extend her $120,000 a year contact. This defies all common sense and business logic.
Under the stewardship of general manager Cahill, the CSD is headed in the wrong financial direction and when asked what her plans are to correct the CSD’s financial slide, she offers nothing. When asked why the fortunes of the CSD are in decline under her leadership, she makes excuses instead of offering ideas and leadership. And when the public makes suggestions that even several of you three think are good, the general manager either “files” those ideas away or states that she and her staff don’t have time to accomplish anything that will reverse the financial decline of Cameron Park.’
Last year Barbara Driskell Rogers wrote:
“Cameron Park CSD G.M. Mary Cahill accuses citizen of threatening to put rat poison in her food.”
“I hope you will all indulge me and allow me to rant a bit more about Mary Cahill, the General Manager of the CPCSD. Apparently the board of directors do not care that employees are either being fired or resigning. Effective 8/12/16, our district will be down four experienced employees. Last year at this time, our parks superintendent died and his position has yet to be filled. As I said in a previous post, the G.M. wanted to extend the probation period on 2 employees. Apparently not one evaluation had been done on either employee during their 12 probation period. The G.M. told the Local 1 rep that she would just fire them if she could not extend their probation. What is troubling is the receptionist has worked 15 months as a blue ribbon temp prior to be hired as a FT/permanent employee. Mary Cahill continually ragged on the board to allow her to add this position into the budget. Previously the CSD hired temps and they left out of a revolving door on a regular basis. Cahill argued that temps left not because of the working conditions but because they got permanent employment elsewhere. This was not true for all who left over the years. The truth the G.M. is a bully and tyrant. In fact she is a narcissist. She is very adept at playing politics. So now we are losing our finance officer and a recreation assistant. Both of these people have found wonderful new positions with other government agencies. I applaud them and wish them the best of luck I know the both will be successful in their new positions. So including the four mentioned above, we also had a 30 plus year parks employee retire. Last year another long time parks employee retired. We have lost six experienced people. There are only 4 FT people, not counting the G.M. left. All others are temps. I can tell you after 27 plus years working for the fire department, that experienced long term employees are what keeps any agency/business going. The residents of Cameron Park should be very concerned and demand that board launch an investigation in to the employment practices of the CSD.”
On April 9, 2017, Fran DuChamp wrote:
“Mary Cahill, the general manager for Cameron Park CSD is no longer employed. Thank goodness. It took five years and an army of people and trainload of complaints to the board to finally get rid of this awful woman. She bullied her people, fired people 1 day before their probation was up and cheated the employees out of wages. She lied to the board, she went after citizens who stood up against her. She filed false reports w/law enforcement against 1 citizen. She recently lied to the BOS at the 3/21/17 board meeting regarding the CSD’s appeal for Bocce Ball courts at Rasmussen Park…”
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