Birmingham Interim Mayor Carole Smitherman announced Thursday morning the termination of former Langford Chief of Staff Deborah Vance-Bowie.

Smitherman stated that she could not with confidence retain Vance-Bowie following the discovery of a $20 Million shortfall in the City's current operations budget.

"We can argue whether it was the budgeting process that was flawed or whether it was the management of the process, in either case Mrs. Vance-Bowie must bare responsibility."

Smitherman stated that she also takes issue with Vance-Bowie's admission that inner office e-mails between Vance-Bowie and former Finance Director Steve Sayler were turned over to The Birmingham News, prior to the shortfall being reported to Smitherman.

Says Smitherman, "The Chief of Staff must not feel a greater obligation to work for the media news outlet, then she feels to her responsibility to elected representatives of the city."

Vance-Bowie reached by phone tells CBS 42 that her termination was unfair. Vance-Bowie says that she only learned of the shortfall on the Thursday prior to Larry Langford's criminal trial and that the information was passed to the interim mayor immediately following Langford's conviction.

Earlier this week Vance-Bowie spoke with reporters on camera and shared her frustrations with trying to get accurate information regarding the the city budget from the finance office.

"T think he (Steve Sayler) thinks he told us more than he really did. And at the end of the day, when I asked for a full accounting of what's under funded, that $20 million spread sheet is what we needed when we presented the mayor's budget to him in the beginning."

Smitherman has appointed 14 year city employee Kevin Moore to serve as Interim Chief of Staff.

40-year-old Kevin Moore, has done everything from finance and accounting to managing for the city. He will take on a new role as Interim Chief of Staff.

Kevin Moore says his experience will help in the coming weeks. "The good part is that I've worked in city hall for so many years. I feel that I have the respect of the people who will be working for me."

With that respect, Moore's first priority will be developing a strategy to come out of this $20 Million budget shortfall.

"I think it is very crucial. if we don't get it right now, then we're headed down a tough road."

Moore hopes to have something for City Council by Tuesday.