Three Washington Fire Board Members Resign Over Dispute Of Current Fire Chief's Contract Renewal

(Washington, IL) -- As a result of actions during a meeting earlier this week of the Washington Fire Board, its now dropped from five members down to two. Three members of the Board have resigned. The Board's President Bob Linsley, Bill Harter and Ken Klotz, all resigned Tuesday night. The three voted to not renew Washington Fire Chief Mike VAughn's contract last month. The Board was to have made that decision official at the meeting earlier this week but just a few hours before the meeting, Linsley as well as Harter resigned. The three resignations stem for what is expected to be a serious backlash from the community with the possibility of not renewing Vaughn's contract. With no vote being taken, at the Washington Fire Board's meeting Tuesday night, unless the Board were to hold a special meeting later this month and replacements are appointed by the Washington City Council later this month, Vaughn's contract will automatically be renewed at the ened of this month.