Resigned fire chief still on payroll

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Portsmouth's fire chief resigned in July, but is scheduled to stay on the city's payroll through October.

Former Fire Chief Don Horton is being paid under the Family and Medical Leave Act. He left the area to go back to Richmond, and councilman Bill Moody says the Portsmouth City Council was not advised Horton was leaving due to a medical matter.

"We were not told it was a family medical leave situation," Moody said.

WAVY.com obtained a copy of Horton's resignation letter which confirms Moody's allegation.

Click here to read Horton's resignation letter as well as City of Portsmouth's Family and Medical Leave policy.

Councilman Moody said it is his understanding that $20,000 in payments were made to Horton from July through October 2012.

"The public has a right to know," Moody said. "Obviously city employees as well as council are paid with taxpayer dollars so we just want to make sure the right thing is being done."

The councilman said "a former payroll employee gave some documents to council that indicated the chief was still on the payroll. That's how we discovered he was still being paid."

Moody says he has no qualms about Horton's work as fire chief.

Portsmouth Mayor Kenneth Wright told WAVY.com he had no comment regarding the incident.

Horton became fire chief in 2009 and did not return WAVY.com's phone call seeking comment.