A vote on his termination is set for Wednesday
TRENTON -- The Mercer County Park Commission plans to fire executive director Kevin Bannon on Wednesday, as a state investigation continues into the park commission and related nonprofit.
The board is expected to vote on approving his termination, according to an agenda item posted on the commission's website. His last day would be June 30.
The action comes after a two-month paid leave of absence. Bannon voluntarily took a month-long leave days after the state Attorney General's Office raided the county's historic Hunt House and tennis center April 26.
The Friends of Mercer County Parks -- a nonprofit Bannon helped start and the county maintains is a separate entity -- is the focus of an investigation over allegations of official misconduct, corruption of public resources and theft by extortion.
Last month, Bannon's leave was extended for up to another 30 days. His attorney, Jack Furlong, had requested the extension so as to not interfere with any work being done by the county's outside counsel.
The law firm Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland and Perretti was hired in May to represent the county during the attorney general's investigation.
County spokeswoman Julie Willmot said that any employee or person who has been requested to appear before the attorney general's office is afforded representation and since county counsel does not have expertise in criminal matters, they had to rely on an outside firm.
"I thought it was inappropriate for Kevin to resume his duties when the people he supervises are pending interview or investigation," Furlong had said last month.
Bannon's extension would have ended July 5. Furlong said he received notice on Monday that Bannon's employment status would be discussed at Wednesday's meeting.
Personnel issues are handled in closed executive sessions unless the affected employee waives his right to privacy and requests that it be discussed publicly.
But the agenda item, coupled with the absence of an executive session, has now made that a moot point, Furlong said.
"I continue to contend that Kevin Bannon has committed no crime and at some point, that will become clear," he said. "In the meantime, it's equally unclear to me at whose pleasure he serves. Does he serve at the pleasure of the county executive or the park commission or both?
"At the end of the day, either the county executive or the commissioners themselves have lost confidence in Kevin," he continued. "And that abstraction is something I'm powerless to contend with."
Willmot said that County Executive Brian Hughes would refrain from commenting until after the commissioners take action.
Bannon, who has been in the position since March 2004, made $135,275 a year.
"Kevin is obviously distraught," Furlong said. "I think it's unfortunate because Kevin's legacy should be stellar. I think he brought energy, productivity and a new level of appreciation for Mercer County's parks to the neighborhoods and he also had high expectations for his staff that sometimes caused friction."
Furlong said that when Bannon took over, he sought to upgrade facilities, tighten employment rules, demand more productivity and attract outside investment with a "friends of" group.
He said he inspected the books of the Friends of Mercer County Parks and has found no evidence of impropriety.
"People may disagree about how the whole thing is set up to have dedicated funding of park activities, but I don't see any evidence of a crime," Furlong said. "I see a policy dispute."
Furlong said he planned to meet with Bannon Tuesday to discuss his options moving forward.
Bannon is best known for his tenure as Rutgers' head basketball coach from 1997 until 2001. He was fired after failing to lead the team to the NCAA tournament in his four years and renewed negative publicity over a 1997 incident when he encouraged players to participate in a strip foul-shooting contest. Two players and a manager ended up running sprints in the nude. Bannon later admitted the contest took place, but said it was voluntary.
Wednesday's meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Princeton Country Club, One Wheeler Way.
Under another agenda item, the Riker law firm is expected to be hired as special legal counsel for the commission.
R. David Blake, the commission's attorney, told NJ Advance Media on Monday that he was advised by the attorney general's office that he recuse himself from any action involving Bannon since he may be called as a fact witness in the future.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.