Miami Twp. trustees Wednesday fired their second high-ranking employee in the past week.

Trustees Mike Nolan and Deborah Preston voted 2-0 to terminate Administrator Greg Hanahan’s contract “effective immediately,” although he will be paid his salary for the rest of the year.

The administrator’s termination follows the firing of former Deputy Chief John DiPietro, who was found guilty Feb. 13 of several violations of the township’s professional code when he hosed down a naked 17-year-old girl in police custody.

Following the vote, the trustees immediately hired a firm to conduct an internal audit, including a review of contract bids and examination of records “in order to determine if any employee of Miami Twp. misused their authority for either monetary or non-monetary gains,” according to the contract.

Hanahan, who was paid $121,500 a year, plus $5,000 in deferred compensation and a $9,000 gas allowance, had been out of the office on accrued paid leave since Nov. 14.

Current president of the Ohio Township Association, Hanahan has continued to attend meetings as a trustee in nearby German Twp.

On Wednesday, the trustees also hired Tracy Williams, former city manager in West Carrollton, as interim administrator. He will be paid $10,000 a month to run the township while the township searches for a permanent replacement for Hanahan.

With Trustee Charlie Lewis absent, the trustees also approved a five-month, $7,000 contract with Strategic Public Partners, a Columbus-based firm, to help with public relations, and the six-month, $30,000 contract with consultant Mukesh Singh to audit the townships’ contracts and finances.

Hanahan’s absence came to light in December when Nolan told a reporter covering a disciplinary hearing for DiPietro that the trustees were negotiating Hanahan’s resignation as a money-saving move. DiPietro and his lawyer complained about Hanahan’s absence in not testifying during the assistant chief’s hearing.

DiPietro was fired last week and filed an administrative appeal Tuesday in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

Police Chief Chris Krug was also on leave, while recovering from a knee injury, and two key administrative assistants resigned in the past week, leaving the government office short-staffed.

Residents have also taken sides over discussion of contracting with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office or creating a police district with an adjoining community, rather than funding an independent township police department following the rejection of a police levy by local voters.

Preston said the decision to terminate Hanahan was made between the township and Hanahan.

“It was a mutual parting of the ways,” said Preston.

Details of Hanahan’s termination agreement were unavailable Wednesday.

“He’s still going to get paid, whether he works or not. That’s kind of a thorn,” Sallee Harrington, a 22-year Miami Twp. resident, said last week.

Hired by Miami Twp. in 2002, Hanahan retired and was rehired as a contractor in 2005. Trustee Charles Lewis was the only member on the board at the time. Preston was fiscal officer.

Preston said the trustees knew Williams from his time with West Carrollton. Williams was city manager in West Carrollton from 1977 to 2007.

“We’re connected with him, we know his professionalism and the wealth of experience that he brings to the table,” Preston said. “So, we’re calling on him to help us in this (transition) time. We’re excited about Tracy; we want to move forward.”

Preston said Rogers, the township’s assistant administrator who has been filling in for Hanahan, will continue his role as assistant administrator and be able to apply for the township administrator position.

“Greg (Rogers) has been a steady force for us as well,” she said. “We’ll do a search, and it will be open to anyone internally or externally.”

Staff writers Jill Kelley and Mark Gokavi contributed to this report.