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Leeds hires Paige Erickson as officer; commission votes to terminate Officer Austin Wilson
Summary
The Leeds City Commission voted to hire Paige Erickson as a new police officer and later approved termination of Officer Austin Wilson after testimony presented in an earlier executive session; the hire and termination were both approved by voice votes at the Dec. 16 meeting.
The Leeds City Commission on Dec. 16 approved two major public-safety personnel actions: hiring Paige Erickson as a new police officer and terminating Officer Austin Wilson.
Commissioners recused one member from the Paige Erickson vote because Erickson is a relative. The chief and interview panel described Erickson as a hometown candidate with about five years’ experience with the State Highway Patrol; the chief called her "a good candidate for the police department." A motion to hire Paige Erickson at $23.72 an hour, with a $1.00 raise after certification, was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.
Later in the meeting under public safety, the chief recommended termination of Officer Austin Wilson "based on testimony received" at an Nov. 18 executive session. The commission moved, seconded and approved the termination by voice vote.
Quotes from the meeting underscore the actions: the chief said the department had "a good candidate for the police department" when describing Erickson, and later plainly stated, "Just recommending termination of officer Austin Wilson." The transcript records the motions and the commission’s approval by voice vote.
What’s next: Personnel records and administrative steps for both the new hire and the termination will be handled according to city personnel rules and applicable collective-bargaining or certification policies.
