Mayor Bill Cook confirmed Bridge was “technically” on medical leave until Nov. 1, per his cardiologist, but said in the open session at the end of Monday night’s council meeting, they “did accept his resignation and agreed to a three months’ severance and a three-month insurance package for him.”
“The resignation was on him, council did not ask for a resignation or did not make any attempts to remove him from office,” Cook said.
Cook said the meeting started over a discussion related to having cameras in the shelter house where the meetings take place. He said council was concerned that closed executive sessions were being compromised and wondered if there was a way the cameras could be turned off during those sessions.
The cameras discussion led to a “stalemate,” Cook said, and then council immediately went into an executive session where they discussed Bridge’s leave. Cook did explain they were also in the process of doing a review on Bridge, but said that didn’t get brought up since “he resigned.”
Cook said they assumed Bridge would resign immediately, but after the meeting they did receive the notice from his doctor that he was not able to report back to work until November. He said: “I believe the attorney is writing up the resignation effective Nov. 1.”
Bridge told the News-Sun he has not received anything in writing and hasn’t signed anything as of Tuesday afternoon.
Bridge is from Cincinnati, attended Wright State University, and holds multiple degrees including a masters in public administration. He joined the city of New Carlisle as planning director in 2012, after previously working for the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and the city of Riverside. He has been New Carlisle’s city manager since 2015.
New Carlisle city council has multiple budget work sessions scheduled next week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday), and the next regular city council meeting is set for Monday, Nov. 4.
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