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Let Stockton’s City Manager Hiring be a Warning to Tracy
Tracy City Manager Jenny Haruyama’s departure for Beaverton, Oregon opens the door for new City Hall management. Her successor will be a critical choice for Tracy taxpayers. As previously reported, Haruyama was instrumental in getting Vargas’ pet projects, i.e. the Downtown TOD and Gateway Specific Plans, on the city’s agenda. (The backstory about the Haruyama-Vargas untoward alliance can be found here.) Both of those projects will come back for public input and city council consideration at some point in the near future, so having an unbiased City Manager in place will be critical. It offers a chance to correct a fixed decision recommended by a staff unduly influenced by Vargas.
While Tracy looks to fill its top management position, it can look to its neighbor in Stockton to see how NOT to hire a City Manager.
The last thing you want with any new hire is controversy, but that’s exactly what Stockton got when hiring Harry Black. In January of 2020, Black was hired as City Manager and given a $270,000 per year contract with benefits. Stockton City Council made this decision despite the fact that Black’s only City Manager experience was in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he resigned on the afternoon before a council meeting where he was expected to be fired, following weeks enflamed by a public and toxic tussle with Cincinnati’s Mayor John Cranley, who hired him in 2014.
Black alleged a hostile work environment and left open possibly filing legal action against the City of Cincinnati. Black further accused Mayor Cranley, in a memo to the city council, of making shady backroom deals with developers. Meanwhile, a deputy city manager came forward and accused Black of requiring employees to swear loyalty oaths to him. See the link here.
Mayor Cranley countered these accusations by claiming that Black’s strongest supporter on city council was telling people that Black had a drinking problem and needed to attend AA meetings. Subsequently, when asked about Black's drinking problems, the council member didn’t deny it and instead explained that he “always responds to people’s struggles with compassion.” See the link
here.
Stockton City Manager
It makes one ponder how Les Nessman would report the Harry Black scandal at Cincy City Hall?
Although Black’s contract omitted a severance package, the Cincinnati City Council ultimately agreed to pay Black a severance package worth about one year's salary. Later, however, council added more money to the pot with a legal settlement that increased Black's total compensation to $644,000. Ouch!
In 2019, Black was a finalist for the City Manager positions in both Corpus Christi, Texas and Gainesville, Florida but was ultimately not hired. Although details of those city’s hiring decisions were not made public, it likely came down to character and lack of experience. The City of Stockton, however, didn’t blink an eye to any of these issues. Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs was thrilled with the hiring of Black. But it’s safe to say that Stockton voters were not thrilled with either Tubbs or Black.
Tubbs was soundly defeated for reelection and left town. His best friend was defeated for reelection as a school board member and left town. Tubbs' other main supporter on the school board resigned and left town. A major supporter and recipient of school district and city contracts was indicted for child molestation. Yet Black remains.
Tracy taxpayers must demand that the hiring of the new City Manager be transparent.
Tracy faces critical issues beyond even Veronica Vargas’ pet projects, including dealing with a COVID related revenue shortfall. The City needs strong leadership coupled with a wise and supportive staff.
Ultimately, having an unbiased City Manager will help move the City in the right direction. Let’s hope some lessons are learned from Stockton’s mistake.
Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs During Happier Times