Breaking news -- Fernandina fire chief resigns
by AMELIA A. HART amelia.hart@mynassausun.com Danny Leeper tendered his resignation as Fernandina Beach fire chief at 4:45 p.m. today, meeting a deadline set by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. The office ruled June 20 that Leeper’s run for the Nassau County Commission put him in violation of the federal Hatch Act, which restricts partisan political activity by government workers whose jobs involve programs funded by the federal government, and gave him until today to end his candidacy or resign his job. "I choose not to disregard the opinion or disregard the law. I don't want to be in violation of the law. I'll just find another way to change the law,” Leeper said this afternoon. The office found Leeper in violation because he is listed as a contact person on a grant application to the Department of Homeland Security for a pair of night-vision goggles and because he supervises the applicant, then Deputy Fire Chief Jeffrey Bunch. The grant was awarded in December, but the goggles have not yet been delivered, so the grant is still considered open. Leeper already had submitted his resignation as chief in order to comply with Florida's Resign to Run law, but that resignation had been effective Nov. 3. Leeper said he didn’t know who would be in charge of the department where he has worked for 26 years after his resignation became effective at 5 p.m. today. Related: AmeliaHart's blog | login or register to post comments | printer friendly version | Tags: danny leeper | Fernandina Beach | Hatch Act
Submitted by mysheiba on Wed, 07/09/2008 - 10:31am.
I agree whole heartedly that it is a disgrace the way that Michael Czymbor conducts himself with highly regarded members of our Fire Department. The Fernandina Beach Fire Department is a very dedicated staff with many years on the job, Mr. Czymbor is certainly not qualified in my opinion. In addition to seeing that the Chief and his second in command resign their jobs (due to Mr. Czymbor's constant harrasment) Mr. Czymbor now is calling E-911 to get in contact with a Lieutenant from the Fire Department!!! This shows that Mr. Czymbor has no bounds about how he conducts himself. Mr. Czymbor, by calling E-911 to have someone call him is a complete disgrace to the city office he holds. It is also totally irresponsible and borders lunacy! Is this the kind of individual we want running our city affairs? I think not! Perhaps he can get everyone else in the Fire Department to resign and run it himself??? Or, perhaps we can call for Michael Czymbor to resign and get a qualified individual to run our city affairs??? This has gone too far, before it goes any further Mr. Czymbor should do the right thing, resign the job he can not uphold! Submitted by TheTruth on Wed, 07/09/2008 - 4:12pm.
It is obvious that you are one of the Chief's suck ups. Stop defending him. The truth is that he really wasn't that good a Chief at all. He was a dictator that controlled the fire department by threats, intimidation and coercion. He has a terrible retention record. This high turn-over is because of the way he "lead" the department and allowed his friends to threaten, intimidate subordinates on his behalf. The citizens could find out about his true record if they just request public records of letters written to the former City Manager by former employees of the fire department. Submitted by mysheiba on Thu, 07/10/2008 - 9:40am.
I am an Executive with over 30 years in management and highly successful. If one of my employee's or someone from another department called E-911 in order to get ahold of me, I would fire them immediately!!! This just goes to show that Mr. Czymbor will stop at no lengths to get what he wants, immediately. If he can not get what he wants he acts worse than a child that does not know any better, using an emergency number that is for "Emergencies Only"!!! Do you condone this type of behavior??? If so, perhaps you can join Mr. Czymbor in the private sector where this type of behavior is dealt with swiftly. I am not with the Fire Department or any other public entity and am simply stating the facts, no one should use the E-911 system except for what it is intended for, emergencies. Trying to get someone to call you is not an emergency!!!
Submitted by Bountyhunter on Thu, 07/10/2008 - 11:00am.
The TRUTH is as a CITIZIEN of Fernandina Beach my family and I will miss Danny as the Fire Chief ! If he had to go I wished he would have taken the stinking BAD APPLES with him ! " That is the truth ! " So quit hiding behind your blogs ! JERK ! Submitted by Smoke on Thu, 07/10/2008 - 10:59pm.
Wow, it sounds to me like “The Truth” is a very disgruntled employee that could not accomplish promotion. “The Truth” must not have worked for the same person that L2836 works for. It is amazing that one person does not get their way, and they become so bitter. Maybe “The Truth” has been promised something from the City Manager. Could it be? I don’t know, but “The Truth” must be or have been a great employee because he/she was chosen to lead the department. NOT!!!!!! Submitted by Smoke on Fri, 07/11/2008 - 8:45pm.
I have just had time to read through the blogs, and mysheiba, I was amazed to hear the things you had to say. When I wrote about the poor management of the City Commission and the City Manager I did not even realize how bad this really was. My comments were just from reading the reports by the My Nassau Sun. It does not appear to me that Mr. Czymbor is familiar with Florida law and the position that he holds in the city. Is that position an elected position? I am totally amazed at the fact he would call 911 to speak to an employee. Is the city Manager so uninformed he does not know how to reach a city Department? Does he not understand that no matter how long he is on 911 for such an asinine question, it is too long? I really don’t think you, the citizens of FB, can afford for the rest of your fire department to resign, because an individual that doesn’t even know when your not supposed to call 911 should not be running a department that is summoned by that number. Oh yea, who will teach the kids how and when to use 911? Things that make you go HMMM? Why would the city manager begin to harass a 27 year veteran employee that had a stellar employment file? Why would there be an issue with this department after so many years as the Fire Chief? Why would there be one ruling on the Hatch Act, and then all of a sudden a different one? Why is the Hatch Act applied differently to different people? Oh yea, here is a good one! Why would when you see elected officials and PW Directors in Clay County being fired and put on trial for using county employees for personal use, would the City Manager use city employees to do work at his home? Is this different the closer you get to Georgia? I don’t know. Well maybe Mr. Czymbor should resign before he ends up with the same fate as those in Clay County, or better yet, maybe before Mr. Leeper is elected to the county Commission and Mr. Czymbor has to ask him for favors. I am sure Mr. Leeper will go out of his way to help him. Better yet, maybe Mr. Leeper gets elected to the City Commission one day and becomes Mr. Czymbor boss. You never Know!! Submitted by Smoke on Sat, 07/12/2008 - 2:49pm.
Well "Truth" It appears you have double crossed so many people, you don't have a clue as to who you directed your comments. You must be that person on the outside that has to try and down others to feel good about yourself. I know nothing about you, the chief or your department, but one would form an opinion based on the comments that those within the department have made about you and your attitude that maybe you were or are the problem. Truth, have you been promised something? |
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He should be arrested for 911 ABUSE !
I have just finished reading this article and the one about the City Commission not backing a 26 year veteran employee in his quest to represent Fernandina at a higher level. This is a total DISGRACE!! By reading "Open Letter to Our Chief", it appears that this man is a very dedicated man to his position, his personnel and the City of Fernandina Beach. True leaders are not made, they are born. It is obvious this man is of a character that the City Commission and the City Manager is not! A person that would walk away from a 26 year career to serve the public in a different capacity is A-OK in my book.
It appears that no one has thought about the success of the fire department, considering they have allowed the fire chief and his next in command to walk away from their post with no plan. A fire department should be run by a fire chief and not someone that has smooched their way around politically. There is a lot more at stake here than a pair of night vision goggles. Has anyone thought about who will get up at 3AM to respond to the citizens needs? Who will be at the helm if the community is struck by a hurricane? Who can take command of a fire when someone’s child is trapped? It doesn’t sound like it!
It is obvious there is a bigger problem than a pair of night vision goggles. It sounds like there may be a management problem coming from the top! Why would the CEO of a company (i.e. Fernandina) let one of their main leaders leave employment without bringing someone in that he/she could at least bring up to speed on what is to be completed, and what things need to continue happening. What a stupid decision by a City Manager when you have a hurricane brewing in the Atlantic, and you’re a costal community! Someone better wake-up and smell the roses, and I think it needs to be the voters! City Commissioners in office, which will allow the CEO of a city to operate so carelessly, should not be there either. Think about it!