Former Livingston public works director sues city and city manager

Livingston, that troubled town and home of the Super Sewer Pipe to Nowhere is in the news again. This is one among a number of cities in the region that forgot that, although "rooftops attract retail," actually there have to be people living under the rooftops to spend so that the cities can collect the sales taxes. Meanwhile, it seems Livingston government, like so many other municipalities in the region, ignored the public health and welfare of existing residents in favor of new people its new subdivisions were supposed to attract.  When firing city public works director, Paul Creighton, city manager Richard Warne is alleged to have explained, "I'm taking the city in a different direction."  8-10-08Merced Sun-StarFormer city employee sues Livingston...SCOTT JASONhttp://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/story/445750.htmlLivingston's former public works director filed a wrongful termination lawsuit alleging that he was fired for questioning the city manager's decisions that he believes put the City Council's interests ahead of the residents. Specifically, he asked City Manager Richard Warne why a water pipe replacement project was modified to benefit some council members and why he was stalling politically charged water rate hikes until after the election.Former Public Works Director Paul Creighton's bombastic lawsuit, filed Sept. 2, comes three months after City Manager Richard Warne abruptly fired him with the plan to take the city in a different direction.It's also two months before the November election, a contentious race that could radically change the face of the City Council. Four of the five seats are available, and five people are running against the four incumbents.Some residents have consistently criticized the council, and the lawsuit could further sway what voters think when they head to the polls.Creighton, who was hired by Livingston in 2004, asks that the jury force the city pay him damages, back pay and give him his job back.He alleges that his First and 14th Amendment rights, free speech and association, were violated when he was fired.Creighton alleges that Warne consciously delayed bringing much-needed water increases to the City Council until after the upcoming election...Creighton's lawsuit also alleges that Warne changed water pipe replacement plans that appeared to benefit current and former City Council members, while costing the taxpayers more. The lawsuit does not name the officials, and Creighton declined to identify them.Also, according to the lawsuit, a well tested positive for coliform, a bacteria, in January and needed to be shut down and replaced. The city couldn't afford a new one unless rates increased...The city's latest test shows the well free from coliform. A well did test positive for coliform in late May, Warne said, but it cleared the second test.Creighton pressed the issue of the contaminated well in June, the lawsuit alleges, bringing his concerns to Mayor Pro Tem Bill Ingram and Councilman Rod Espinoza. Days later, he was fired by Warne without much explanation. The lawsuit is scheduled for a conference in February.See the full petition attached below.