It's Official: Bacock Bows Out

In closing out what could be arguably termed one of the most divisive chapters in the relatively short history of the City of Fernley, Gary Bacock signed an agreement with the city late Friday afternoon effectively resigning his post as City Manager.
Mayor Todd Cutler said he was on hand to execute the agreement just minutes shy of the 5 p.m. deadline for Bacock's acceptance, which was imposed by the city council earlier in the week. The Mayor said that after he signed off on the agreement he shook Bacock's hand, wished him well, and thanked him for his work.
"We need to move forward. We can learn from the past, but we don't have to cling to it," Cutler said. "The City Manager gave 10 years of service to the town and city, and I appreciate that."
Bacock's agreement with the city, which was hammered out at last Wednesday's city council meeting, allows the long-time top executive to resign with four months severance pay along with accrued sick time that reportedly amounts to 706 hours. The agreement essentially nets Bacock the same terms he would have received had he been terminated.
The prospect of being fired apparently loomed large on the horizon for Bacock. "Due to the election, it is clear that a transition is coming," he wrote in an agenda report prepared for the December 17 council meeting.
Bacock's original proposal called for him to be placed on paid administrative leave for six months in exchange for transitional assistance and a release from potential litigation with the city. An alternative proposal reducing the period to four months was submitted prior to the council meeting.
However, the City Manager's majority base of support among city council members evaporated at Wednesday's meeting leaving him placed on paid administrative leave immediately with a 5 p.m. Friday deadline to resign and take the severance package.
The 3-2 council vote represented a significant shift from just last August when the council voted 3-2 to retain Bacock. At that point, the City Manager had the support of Elayne Logue, Ward 1; Joe Mortensen, Ward 2; and Monte Martin, Ward 3. Mortensen even cut short an Alaska vacation in order to be back in Fernley for the pivotal council session.
However, Mortensen proved once again to be the crucial swing vote at Wednesday's meeting, this time voting to support Bacock's resignation and severance agreement. Mortensen won a seat on the Lyon County Commission in the November election, and Logue was defeated in a bid to retain her Ward 1 seat on the council.
Council members Curt Chaffin, Ward 4, and Cal Eilrich, Ward 5, had pushed for a change in the city's top executive this past August and they were once again at the forefront of the action during last Wednesday's council session.
"Last Wednesday's council meeting was one of the most difficult I've been involved in," Chaffin said. "But it's time for change, and I believe we'll see our city move forward in a very positive way."
Bacock, whose leadership style and decision-making has spurred contentious debate among citizens and the council alike, pulled down a salary in the low six figures. He first served as town manager and then city manager following the city's incorporation.
Community Development Director Fred Turnier was appointed Acting City Manager following Bacock's departure after being placed on immediate paid administrative leave at Wednesday's council session. Now that Bacock has resigned, Turnier will remain in that post until the January 7 council meeting when an Interim City Manager will be decided by the council. The Interim City Manager will function in that position until such time as a permanent City Manager can be hired.
Turnier said that he conducted an "all hands" meeting with city staff late in the week to reassure them that it will remain "business as usual" at city hall.