Blog note: this article references a grand jury investigation into the financing of Levi’s Stadium.
After a tumultuous year that included hosting a Super Bowl and then losing a mayor, Santa Clara City Manager Julio Fuentes has decided to quit. His last day is May 31.
“It was my personal decision,” Fuentes said. “I don’t want anyone to think it was anything else.”
Fuentes sudden resignation comes after the city launched an outside investigation into claims that he was being discriminated against because he’s Hispanic. Fuentes would not comment on the probe Thursday.
Fuentes, 59, joined Santa Clara three years ago and said he’s accomplished what the City Council asked him to do – pull the city out of a budget deficit, grow revenue and usher in new development projects.
“I’ve had a really successful run,” he said. “My career is not over yet but I don’t know what I want to do next. I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
Fuentes said he notified Mayor Lisa Gillmor – who in the past criticized how he and former Mayor Jamie Matthews allegedly conducted business outside the public eye – and the rest of the council about his decision this week. He decided to quit over the weekend after discussing it with his wife.
Fuentes said he plans to move back to Southern California after he leaves his job in Santa Clara to be closer to his children and elderly dad. He may take another city manager job, he said, or decide to teach or coach football. “I m looking forward to the next chapter of my life,” said Fuentes, who was a city manager in Alhambra, Pomona and Azusa. “There’s a lot of interest in my background and experience.” s
Last month, Santa Clara hired an investigator to look into Fuentes’ accusation that he’s endured discrimination and a hostile work environment because of his race, but sources say he wasn’t cooperating with the probe.
Several City Hall insiders say Fuentes was dodging the investigator and canceled numerous interviews.
City Attorney Ren Nosky confirmed the city hired Nikki Hall from the San Francisco-based law firm Renne, Sloan, Holtzman and Sakai on Feb. 16. The city’s contract says it can pay Hall’s firm up to $50,000 for the investigation.
Nosky said the city has no end date in mind to finish the probe, but Hall has already started interviewing people that are connected with the subject of the investigation.
“We all want it to be concluded as quickly and fairly as possible, but no end date anticipated at this point,” Nosky said.
Fuentes’ resignation comes three weeks after Mayor Matthews quit unexpectedly – a day after the city hosted Super Bowl 50. But Fuentes says his decision is unrelated to that or to a recent Civil Grand Jury investigation into Levi’s Stadium’s finances.
"Civil grand juries do audits all the time," he said.
Councilman Dominic Caserta credited Fuentes with helping the city balance its budget, ending furloughs and growing city reserves from $6 million to nearly $50 million.
“He’s achieved everything he was hired to achieve,” Caserta said Thursday. “I’m sad he’s leaving, but he’s making a personal decision that’s best for himself and his family. Santa Clara will be fine. With us working harmoniously with Mayor Gillmor, the city will do fine.”
March 3, 2016
Santa Cruz Sentinel
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