Two high-level city of Temecula employees were placed on administrative leave due to “differences in management philosophy and goals,” said the city attorney.
City officials have been tight-lipped since giving walking orders to City Manager Bob Johnson on Nov. 13 and Chief Financial Officer Genie Wilson on Nov. 14.
“The City Council and City Staff will not discuss (their) placement...on administrative leave as these are personnel actions involving the employees and we will respect the privacy rights of the employees,” said Temecula City Attorney Peter Thorson, in a statement emailed to Patch.
“At the request of their legal counsel, I will confirm that these actions were based on differences in management philosophy and goals."
A large number of Temecula city employees belong to Teamsters Local 911, the president of which told The Press-Enterprise late last week that Johnson’s and Wilson’s management styles may have been causing a stressful work environment.
There was “considerable displeasure with (Johnson’s) management style,” Chester Mordasini, president of Teamsters Local 911 told the newspaper.
Shortly after Johnson assumed the role of city manager in January—replacing long-time City Manager Shawn Nelson—there was a reorganization of sorts, The Californian reported in a May article about the state of the city's budget.
Johnson’s permanent dismissal was set to be voted on during city council’s regularly scheduled meeting Nov. 27.
Until then, Community Services Director Aaron Adams has been appointed acting city manager.
In an email response Monday to Patch, Adams said no interim or acting CFO has been officially appointed since Wilson was placed on leave.
“I have assigned coverage/responsibilities to existing managers as a result of this vacancy,” Adams wrote. “This will assure proper coverage of all responsibilities.”
The chief financial officer—under the city's organizational chart—oversees administrative services. These include accounting and purchasing, strategic budgeting and operations, human resources, support services and information technology.
Wilson earned an annual salary of $180,466 including benefits as of 2010, according to the latest public salary information available from the California State Controller’s website.
Johnson's contracted salary was $215,000. If terminated, the contract specifies he is entitled to six months' salary in severance pay, as well as insurance benefits during those six months, according to city documents. However, if termination is the result of being charged or convicted of a felony, or engaging in corrupt or willful misconduct in office, his benefits would not be paid.
The specifics of Wilson's terms of employment were not readily accessible.
Neither Johnson nor Wilson were present during a Nov. 13 city council meeting at which Thorson announced Johnson had been placed on administrative leave.
The similar action taken against Wilson was confirmed by Adams Friday, after initial responses from city officials stating they would not comment on personnel-related matters.
Food for thought!!
If your boss fired you in a private industry because you simply were a bad fit for the company, he CANNOT say that to your next prospective employer when called for a reference. If he did you could sue him. Same principle applies here. There's a council meeting tonight. Let's see what happens then.
I wonder about this though, that they City agree with "THEIR" attorneys to state a certain reason. Its a safe reason thats for sure, but still wonder why they waited until now to do the terminations. IF a new council had won the chairs then they would have had to deal with it? Hjmmmmm.... "“At the request of their legal counsel, I will confirm that these actions were based on differences in management philosophy and goals."
I agree that something doesn't sound right. But I don't expect answers this second. I expect thorough investigation and for things to be done correctly. I would hate for any criminal wrongdoing to go unpunished because information was improperly released in the name of "transparency."
So, Bob and Genie who are both really nice people did everything that was asked of them and then they are treated like bums by the city council? Now we are hearing that they are being "paid off" to go away. I personally know Genie and she is a wonderful person. Not a mean bone in her body. It seems like Genie is being kicked to the curb after giving the city everything they asked of her. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/temecula/article_49f243a4-6994-5058-946c-5a534cbdd2b0.html
That is the problem. Get rid of the unions. If you are a small business owner ask your customers if they are in a union as you have a special deal for union members. When they show you there card point to the "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" and tell them to leave..