Taylorsville Police Chief Larry Marx was fired Thursday by Mayor Russ Wall, who said he was "looking for a new direction" in the city's law enforcement.

But Marx said he believes he was axed for being a whistle-blower against the mayor and says he will now explore possible legal action.

"I'm going to talk to an attorney and see if my First Amendment rights were violated," he said.

The mayor handed Marx a check for the remainder of Marx's contract, which still had a year left, and terminated him about 2:30 p.m.

Wall said his action was not personal but rather he was ready for a change.

"Police chiefs are at-will employees, and I'm looking for new direction," he said.

Marx said the mayor "didn't give a reason" for firing him, but the former police chief acknowledged he and the mayor have never had a good relationship.

"He and I don't get along," Marx said.

Marx said it began when Wall became mayor and asked the chief to promote two of Wall's friends.

And recently the two had a screaming match over the handling of a police report, said Marx, who believes that prompted his firing.

Wall's wife, who is a paralegal with the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office, got hold of a Taylorsville police report that named several juveniles as suspects in an ongoing investigation, Marx said. Wall's wife didn't feel the report was filled out properly, according to Marx, and faxed a copy of it to her husband.

Wall then brought the report up with one of Marx's lieutenants, the former police chief said. But Marx said because the report included the names of juveniles, it was protected under privacy laws, even from the mayor. He said he confronted Wall about why he had the report and then asked the district attorney's office to find out why a paralegal faxed a report to the mayor. That call, Marx said, infuriated Wall.

Wall declined to say if he and Marx had disagreements in the past but admitted they've had their "ups and downs." Being a "political position," Wall said police chiefs have their own philosophies and principles, some of which he and Marx disagreed on.

"We have agreed on some things and disagreed on some things," Wall said.

However, he praised Marx for his successful service of nearly two years.

"He's been an excellent police chief, and he's done good service for the city of Taylorsville," he said. "Sometimes you just need a change."

Wall was on the Taylorsville City Council when Marx was appointed as police chief and formed the new force April 1, 2005.

Wall said he will appoint a committee, including former police chiefs and others who have experience in law enforcement, to screen incoming applications and conduct the interview process. He hopes to make a decision within the next two months.

The job first needs to be posted and qualifications reviewed, but resumes are already being accepted.

Marx said he is not done with law enforcement. He said he would try to find a job with another department.

"I'm too young to give up," he said. "I enjoy being a cop."

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