By Carrie Pond
Paducah, KY – The Paducah city commission is considering a reorganization plan that, if approved, would eliminate the city's only two minority department heads. City Manager Jim Zumwalt presented the plan to the commission Tuesday in a closed session. The Paducah Sun reports Public Works director Earnie Via and Human Resources director Herschel Dugney were notified yesterday about the possible elimination of their positions. Dungey says he has felt increasingly marginalized at his job and believes the plan is racism cloaked in an economic recession. Dungey is black; Via is an American Indian. Mayor Bill Paxton denies Dungey's charges, noting the commission recently hired James Berry who is black as police chief.