Council Ignoring Harassment Complaints of City Executives?

City Hall insiders are telling us that tensions between city staff and the City Council are at an all-time high. The issue we’re hearing is with the Council’s lack of holding its executives accountable for their actions, most significantly with Finance Director Karin Schnaider.

It is alleged that Schnaider has had multiple harassment charges filed against her since her hiring in 2017. One of the incidents apparently led to a settlement with the City. Our attempts to verify these alleged incidents with the City have so far gone unanswered. None-the-less, it does raise a lot of questions about the timing of this news.

City Attorney Leticia Ramirez just recently announced her resignation. Insiders have told us that Ramirez too has been frustrated with Council and other issues happening in City Hall. Former City Manager Jenny Haruyama jumped ship as well after only a few years on the job. Perhaps things at 333 Civic Center Drive are worse than we thought!

If the harassment issues brought against Karin Schnaider are true, then it raises serious questions about the City Council. Have they brushed this issue under the rug?       

The public deserves to know if these alleged harassment charges are true or not. Once again, where there is smoke, there is fire. Who on the Council knows of these alleged charges and, if so, then why has nothing been done? Where is the accountability? 

Taxpayers cannot afford to have a toxic work environment at City Hall. And no one should be made to feel unsafe in any work environment. We will continue to investigate this troubling issue.