Bluffdale to investigate ‘criminal’ allegations against mayoral candidate, former fire chief

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BLUFFDALE, Utah – Bluffdale City Council is set to open an investigation into further criminal allegations against the city’s former fire chief, running for mayor, just weeks before the election.

City council met behind closed doors for what the city called “an investigative proceeding into allegations of criminal misconduct against John Roberts, who worked as a firefighter for the city for more than 40 years and led the department full-time for 10 years.

The longtime Bluffdale resident is running for mayor, promising to work for and with the townspeople to bring in more business.

But with about two months before the election, voter Debie Wangsgard was confused about conflicting information she had heard about why and how Roberts had quit his job as a firefighter with the city.

Municipal lawyer:

Following the recent publication of certain documents relating to John Roberts, the City has received additional information from the firefighters. The City will work with the appropriate authorities to investigate the allegations. The allegations are criminal in nature. pic.twitter.com/Dr1fN2IkNw

– Matt Rascon KSL (@MattRasconKSL) October 15, 2021

I think all voters should do their own research, Wangsgard said.

She did her research on Roberts and said: There was some information in there that I didn’t expect to get.

Wangsgard has learned and KSL-TV has confirmed through public document requests that last year the city received complaints from firefighters that Roberts paid employees for the hours they did not work and did not work. failed to provide its firefighters with the proper training or equipment.

The complaints were that people were being paid when they were not working, Wangsgard said. It was completely unexpected.

In March 2020, City Manager Mark Reid emailed Roberts advising him that he was on paid administrative leave.

In an email to the mayor and city council a few days later, he told them: There is no doubt in my mind that (Roberts) would retaliate against (the firefighters who filed the complaints) if he knew who they were. He was very forceful in denying all the payroll issues.

Reid noted that he was prepared to hire an outside lawyer to investigate the allegations. He put Roberts on paid leave on March 27 while he investigated the complaints.

Reid recorded the wages of firefighters “who didn’t work to show four on duty,” citing Christmas 2019 as an example, according to a copy of his investigative notes. The document was provided to KSL as part of a public documents request.

Roberts had not asked for additional paid time off during budget negotiations, according to Reid’s notes. He documented allegations that employees making suggestions would lose shifts, as well as the firefighters’ “fear of complaining”.

The review identified other concerns, including a lack of safety equipment and employees who do not have the appropriate training for their roles. He noted that the employees said he was “separating the business in order to circumvent the policy” and found “contracts with the businesses of their relatives for maintenance and repair”.

Roberts agreed to an interview but was ultimately not available on Thursday. In a Facebook post earlier this week, he denied any wrongdoing.

Roberts said the city had not provided the money to properly staff the department and that he had simply tried to find a way to fill the gaps.

“Despite what misinformed social media posts would indicate, there was no basis for criminal charges, and the criminal charges were never investigated,” Roberts wrote in the post. . “It was simply a separation, and I continued to remain eligible to be rehired by the City of Bluffdale.”

Reid said he had started investigating three firefighter complaints, but ultimately suggested that city council allow Roberts to quit his job rather than continue with the review.

This allowed the city to focus on responding to the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, replacing a city lawyer who left to take on another job, and taking action to ensure firefighters volunteers are safe, said Reid.

He declined an interview but gave details of Roberts’ departure in a prepared statement.

Roberts signed an agreement setting out the terms of his departure 19 days after the first complaint was filed, according to Reid. Roberts resigned in April 2020 and received severance pay, receiving an additional nine months’ salary for $ 71,000 and ending the city’s investigation.

In fact, I can’t speak to this investigation, said Natalie Hall, mayoral candidate for Bluffdale.

Hall declined to discuss the allegations against his opponent. She is the city’s emergency program manager and currently on leave to campaign. She has also been the subject of city investigations into complaints that have found no basis for complaints alleging that she was overpaid and campaigned while working.

When I announced that I was running for mayor, false accusations were made and the investigations carried out were thorough. And I’m grateful for that, Hall said. And they turned out to be unfounded.

Wangsgard said that she also investigated Natalie, because I was hearing negative things. So it wasn’t just a one-sided thing.

Wangsgard knows Hall but says her research on Roberts was not for anyone’s campaign but for herself and to educate other voters.

I believe we have to stand up for the truth, she said.

The town’s attorney said they would use an outside agency to investigate Roberts because of the potential conflict of interest.

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