Former Taylor Mill city commissioner Phil Peace returned to the city building on Wednesday night urging the city to fire Police Chief Steve Knauf.
Peace, who was elected in 2016 but defeated in his reelection bid in 2018, spoke for three minutes against Knauf as well as former City Administrator Jill Cain Bailey, who left that position in 2018 to assume the same role at the City of Ft. Wright.
Peace’s remarks followed the settlement by the city of a lawsuit brought by two female former police officers.
RELATED: Taylor Mill settles sex discrimination lawsuit brought by former police officers
Mayor Daniel Bell said before Peace’s comments that Knauf is retiring and that his last day will be July 29.
“He doesn’t deserve to retire,” Peace said at the meeting. “Fire Chief Knauf immediately.”
Peace dug up previous conflicts from that two-year term where he and fellow former City Commissioner Sarah Frietch were often at odds with the mayor.
The tense meetings in the small Kenton County city at least partially led to Bailey’s departure as city administrator and to Chief Knauf being appointed interim administrator. In May 2018, at Bailey’s final meeting, a memo came to light detailing Bailey’s and Knauf’s accusations that Peace and Frietch had created a toxic work environment, which the commissioners denied. Chief Knauf ultimately filed a complaint with the city over what he saw as a challenged work situation.
Peace followed that with an open letter to Taylor Mill residents, sharing his side of the story.
In August of that year, when Frietch was a candidate for mayor against Bell, even hiring Bailey’s replacement was met with controversy at the city commission meeting.
Following a contentious two years at the Taylor Mill city building, Mayor Bell was easily reelected, defeating Frietch, while Peace finished eighth in the field race for commission where the top four are elected.
On Wednesday night, Peace said the accusation of the toxic work environment four years ago was in response to Frietch’s attempt to bring to light what she saw as pay increases and overspending, as well as her contentions that protocol was not followed consistently in the police department.
“Sarah, you’ve been vindicated,” Peace said, turning to where Frietch sat in the audience.
Peace said the $330,000 settlement agreement the city paid out to the two officers could have gone to fixing more streets, or buying more cruisers, or for fixing the firehouse.
“Why wasn’t he fired after the settlement?,” Peace asked. “It sends a message, loud and clear, condoning this behavior, that conduct and character don’t matter. It is a dangerous precedent.”
Mayor Daniel Bell spoke up at one point to ask a question, but Peace shouted him down, contending that he had three minutes to speak, and to let him speak.
Peace said that he read all 456 pages of the depositions and settlement, since they are public record, and he encouraged others to do the same. Peace also referenced the extramarital affair that Knauf and Bailey engaged in from 2014 to 2018, which each confirmed in their respective depositions related to the discrimination lawsuit.
“Set the example, don’t be the example,” Peace urged the commission, asking again that they fire Knauf instead of letting him retire.
After his speech, there was no rebuttal, although when the city announced the settlement last month, officials said the settlement was in no way an admission of guilt in the matter, but more of a cap on the legal fees associated with the case.
Reached for comment on Monday, Mayor Bell and Chief Knauf declined to speak on the matter.
Michael A. Monks contributed to this report.
