Ex-Oceanside Official Says Firing Was Vengeance : Dismissed: Former public services director says his termination was retribution for whistle-blowing.

A top Oceanside official claimed Tuesday he was fired from his $82,000 a year job because he sparked a 1989 district attorney’s investigation into alleged wrongdoing by the City Council.

“I was fired as retribution for whistle-blowing,� said Glenn Prentice, who was Oceanside’s public services director for 10 years until he was dismissed Monday by interim City Manager Jim Turner in what was explained as a budget-cutting move.

Prentice, who is considering a lawsuit against the city, alleged there were other factors behind his termination.

“There were things going on behind the scenes (that) the city manager was trying to force me to do that I couldn’t do legally,� Prentice said, refusing to give details and vowing to “save it for the court.�

Turner did not return phone calls Tuesday, but some other city officials denied that Prentice was forced out because of his role in the district attorney’s probe into the activities of City Council members Melba Bishop and Sam Williamson, and former member Ben Ramsey.

Prentice had reported possible bribery, conflict of interest and misuse of public funds involving the three council members. One allegation was that Bishop and Williamson had improperly solicited donations from Oceanside Disposal Inc.

However, district attorney’s investigators found no evidence of impropriety and dropped the matter in March, 1990.

“I like Glenn and I have never blamed him for what happened a couple of years back,� Bishop said Tuesday, insisting she didn’t know Prentice would be fired by Turner and that she had “absolutely nothing� to do with it.

“By the time I got the heads-up, it was already on the street,� Bishop said. “Jim Turner even assured me later that it was his decision alone, and that’s why he didn’t consult me beforehand.�

Mayor Larry Bagley wasn’t quite so sure Tuesday that a desire to cut the city’s ailing budget was behind the termination because much of Prentice’s salary doesn’t come from the general fund.

Asked if the firing was politically motivated, Bagley said, “I don’t have anything definitive to prove that. But the fact that he is one of the department heads who isn’t fully funded by the general fund does raise suspicions.�

The city faces a $3.9-million deficit and the council last week ordered Turner to evaluate whether administrative positions could be eliminated.

Workers at City Hall who were stunned by Prentice’s sudden firing were privately predicting other department heads would go in the political and fiscal chaos that has dominated the city for several years.

In the past two years, numerous city officials have been fired or resigned under pressure from the City Council. They include City Manager Ron Bradley, Police Chief Lee Drummond, City Atty. Charles Revlett, Redevelopment Director Kathy Graham, Deputy City Atty. Debra Corbett, Harbor Chief Jim Manues, Fire Chief Jim Rankin and Human Resources Director Mary Kaerth.

After firing Prentice, Turner named Deputy City Manager George Field to replace him temporarily. Field has directed Oceanside’s Building and Community Development departments.