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Venice Police Chief Julie Williams has (and apparently still is) moonlighted for Empco (www.empco.net), a Michigan-based company that provides testing services for promotions and hiring at fire and police departments.

"She writes test questions for us as well as sitting in on various review panels," said John Higgins, her boss at Empco. According to Higgins, Williams is still listed as active on the company's roster of consultants.

Williams worked for the company prior to being hired as Venice's police chief in April of 2006. After retiring from the Lansing Police Department in Michigan, Williams moved to Sarasota, ostensibly to be the Florida marketing rep for Empco. According to Higgins, Williams was to be paid on a per-sale basis.

It was in that capacity, according to Higgins, that Williams first met then-City manager Marty Black. According to Higgins, Black was already looking for a new police chief and encouraged Williams to apply, a version of events that Black disputes.

Black was interviewed at last week's city council meeting and again later by phone, where he stated that he met Williams after she had applied for the position of police chief. Black stated he was aware of her prior affiliation with Empco, but that he didn't remember giving her permission to work the company after she was hired as police chief. As to Empco's first contract with the city, which took place under Black's watch, Black stated he was unaware that she had contracted with Empco.

Nevertheless, a public records search last week revealed that Black had indeed allowed Williams to continue her employment with Empco subsequent to her being hired by the city, this in September of 2007, some nine months after the city had written its first check, for $22,060.95, to Empco and about two weeks prior to the city cutting its second check, this time for $10,702.37.

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John Patten is the editor and publisher of Venice Florida! dot com and had previously worked in broadcasting for over 12 years. He can also be incredibly rude at times.