Editorial by Robert Anderson Publisher Lehigh Acres Gazette
On August 15, 2016 then Fire Chief Candidate Mike Choate sent an email the Lehigh Acres Fire Commissioners stating the following: “As each of you know, I have been attending all of your meetings. A local fire chief and good friend of mine called me the morning of the (July) 26th meeting. He just wanted me to know that he had heard from his union president that you (the Board) were going to be recommending an internal candidate for the position to lead your district. Upon the close of that 26th meeting, given the dialog among each of you, I realized that you had indeed decided to not offer the job to any of us in the final process. I can appreciate the gravity of a decision like that. You have to hire the very best candidate that you can given the limited information that you have. I do applaud each of you. From the short time that I got to know him, I am confident that Chief Dilallo will do you a good job.”
But on Aug. 19 at a special meeting, Rob Dilallo was asked by the commissioners if he would accept the position and his answer was “yes.”
Also the commissioners will be ratifying Interim Rob Dilallo contract on 9/2/2016 at 4:30 pm at Station 104.
Dilallo does not have the same background qualifications as the board was searching with the other candidates, but the board still offer the interim position to Dilallo.
Dilallo will be paid a salary of nearly $133,000 to serve as the interim fire chief of the department.
Rumor mill has it that Rob Dilallo was handed picked by former Chief John Wayne and is Wayne’s fishing buddy.
We smell a rat at the firehouse …….. How could a candidate know what is going on internally in the fire department? John Wayne’s handpicked boy makes interim chief with vote 5-0 when a month before 3-2 against it, what changed, who was paid off, what favors were made? Where is the TRUE transparency?