Temecula Council to Consider Dismissal of City Manager

Updated at 1:17 p.m. Nov. 14

Temecula's city manager has been placed on administrative leave, pending his dismissal.

City Council voted unanimously in closed session late Tuesday to immediately place City Manager Bob Johnson on leave, Temecula City Attorney Peter Thorson announced shortly before the close of the meeting.

"The council will have no further comments on this matter at this time, as it is a personnel matter," Thorson said.

Assistant City Manager Aaron Adams was named acting city manager, at least until Nov. 27.

"The council will formally consider dismissal of its city manager and appointment of acting city manager at its regularly scheduled meeting Nov. 27," Thorson said.

A tipster told Patch that Temecula's Chief Financial Officer Genie Wilson may also have been placed on leave Tuesday, but Patch was not able to confirm that. The city has not reported taking any action Tuesday regarding Wilson's employment.

"I have no comment on matters of personnel," Acting City Manager Aaron Adams wrote in an email to Patch, when asked whether Wilson had also been placed on leave.

Johnson was hired as city manager in January, after the resignation in late 2011 of Shawn Nelson.

Johnson's salary is about $210,000. Prior to working for the city, he held a high-level planning position for the county of Riverside.