KILLIAN - Missing traffic tickets and improper use of gas and credit cards led the town of Killian to fire Police Chief Dennis Hill this week, and the mayor says the legislative auditor's office is investigating.

Mayor Craig McGehee said the vote on his recommendation to fire Hill was tied. He cast the tie-breaking vote.

The evidence "piled up on him," McGehee said.

Investigators from the state legislative auditor's office were at the Town Hall Wednesday morning, McGehee said. They have all the chief's electronic equipment and a trove of records to review.

McGehee said the first problem happened several months ago when it came to light that Hill had used a town gas card improperly. The chief repaid the town and McGehee didn't pursue it further.

Next, McGehee said, the chief used a town credit card for an unauthorized expense. In January, while McGehee was in the process of formally reprimanding the chief for that, a person called the town hall to pay a ticket. Clerks couldn't find the ticket.

Further investigation showed additional tickets were missing. The board discussed it with the chief at a May meeting.

"We didn't get a good answer," McGehee said.

The board demanded that Hill provide the missing tickets. He did not, McGehee said.

Town officials then learned that Hill had improperly completed a form submitted for state supplemental pay, McGehee said.

The board met in executive session Tuesday and then voted on McGehee's recommendation that Hill be fired.

Aldermen Paul Canik and Vince Deliberto voted to fire Hill. Aldermen J.J. Barnum and Gillis Windham voted to keep him.

Hill could not immediately be reached for comment.