The Golden City Council voted unanimously to fire City Manger Scott Vargo on Tuesday night over his handling of a “racist incident” in which an employee hung a Black doll by its neck in a fire station stairwell.
Councilmembers voted to oust Vargo after an executive session and unanimously voted to appoint Deputy City Manager Carly Lorentz as interim city manager effective immediately, city officials said in a news release Wednesday.
A city subcommittee will negotiate a separation agreement with Vargo, who was hired in 2022 and earned $247,200 as of 2023, according to city records. His current salary information was not immediately available.
The incident was first discovered in March after a novelty doll called “Snoop on the Stoop,” a parody of “Elf on the Shelf,” was found hanging from a rope by its neck in a Golden Fire Department stairwell.
City officials said they took disciplinary action and launched an internal investigation, but the incident was not made public until late July, when employees outside the fire department learned about what had happened and raised concerns. City leaders then launched an independent investigation and fired the employee involved.
Council members on Tuesday acknowledged that the response “did not meet expectations for action and accountability and that trust has been lost among employees, residents and city leadership,” according to the news release.
“This is an extremely difficult moment for our city, but maintaining trust is fundamental to leadership,” Mayor Laura Weinberg said in a statement. “We are committed to accountability, meaningful change and doing the work necessary to rebuild trust.”
The independent investigation is still moving forward, and a City Council subcommittee is working to select a third-party investigator.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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