DELTONA, Fla. -- During a meeting Thursday night, four Deltona city commissioners voted to stop paying City Attorney George Trovato his $123,000 a year salary.

On Monday, the same group voted to lock him out of City Hall and suspend him with pay because they felt he had not been performing his city duties. It is not clear why.

“I think we made a decision, I guess in order to give our city attorney the opportunity to leave honorably,” said Deltona Vice-Mayor Michael Carmolingo.

Trovato now has the chance to quit and take a six-month severance of $60,000 instead of possibly being fired.

Commissioners hired Trovato a year ago after the controversial firing of embattled City Attorney Roland Blossom. Trovato was less experienced than other candidates and he was $20,000 cheaper than Blossom.

Trovato himself had been fired in 2007 as an assistant city attorney, but he was rehired after new commissioners voted to fire Blossom.

Two commissioners, Janet Deyette and Paul Treusch, did not show up to Thursday night’s meeting. Deltona Mayor Dennis Mulder was also not there because he is on vacation.

Vice-Mayor Carmolingo says he was not trying to make any political moves, he says he was just trying to get city business done.