The Valley Chronicle - Hemet City Manager terminatedng

Majority of city council expresses dissatisfaction with performance

[caption id="attachment_17095" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Chris Smith / The Valley Chronicle
The special meeting was held at a secondary location possibly to avoid public scrutiny. [/caption] ■ By Tom Jones / Contributed In a special meeting held by the Hemet City Council on Tuesday, Mar. 19, councilmembers voted to terminate the employment contract of City Manager Allen Parker on a 3-to-2 vote.The special meeting was held at a secondary location possibly to avoid public scrutiny. The action was taken on a “not for cause” basis meaning that Parker will receive severance compensation equal to seven months pay, or $115,657, along with any accrued vacation or other benefits. Parker has been on the job since September 2017 and previously served as the City Manager of San Bernardino. Mayor Bonnie Wright, Mayor Pro Tem Russ Brown, and Councilwoman Linda Krupa voted in favor of Parker’s termination. While not in fulsome defense of Parker, council members Karlee Meyer and Michael Perciful dissented from the ouster vote. The same could not be said for the majority of the audience of some dozen residents in attendance at the special city hall meeting who voiced either support or concern at the rapid pace of rotation in the City Manager’s position, which has seen 12 incumbent managers or interim managers since 2000. Parker will continue to be replaced by Deputy City Manager Chris Lopez who stepped in as acting city manager last week as Parker was put on administrative leave as the council continued its evaluation.