SANTA ANA — About one month after being placed on paid administrative leave following allegations that he had had inappropriate sexual relations with subbordinate staff, OC Public Works Executive Manager, and Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante has left the building, literally.
UPDATE: From the OC Register this afternoon we see how, again, county managers get special treatment.
Bustamante said in his resignation letter that he is not entitled to a 90-day severance package because he is voluntarily resigning, but said he has agreed to accept a 90-day severance package in exchange for not suing the county.
Regular employees do not get such options. It just doesn’t happen. Read the complete OC Register story here.
The Orange County Register reported last night:
County executive manager Carlos Bustamante, the target of an internal investigation into accusations that he had sexual encounters with his employees, resigned from his job Tuesday afternoon.
Bustamante, who is also a Santa Ana councilman, was put on paid administrative leave Sept. 12 after the county received an anonymous letter detailing allegations of a sexual nature against Bustamante, the director of administrative services for Orange County public works.
County CEO Tom Mauk confirmed Bustamante submitted a resignation letter Tuesday but declined to discuss whether the county’s investigation into the accusations against Bustamante had been completed or if it had been expanded to other employees in public works.
“I can’t confirm anything else,” Mauk said.
Each of the five county supervisors was handed an envelope containing copy of Bustamante’s resignation letter after Tuesday’s board meeting. Details of the letter were not publicly revealed.
I can only presume that the allegations placed Bustamante in a position where he had two choices, stay and fight and likely face involuntary termination from his high level position, or cut and run while he could. The burning question is whether he will choose to resign his position on the Santa Ana City Council. The determination of his fitness to serve as an elected official after such allegations is between him and the voters of Santa Ana who will have the opportunity to decide a little more than a year from now in November 2012.
Bustamante was once a rising star in the Orange County Republican Party as one of the few Latino’s in the party elected to a City Council. It should be interesting to see who joins in the calls for him to resign.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I don’t trust the Santa Ana City Council to make a good decision on a replacement I would probably join the calls for him to step aside. The allegations of infidelity by Bustamante have circulated for years. There has been no actual change other than greater public awareness to his character. The voters chose to reelect him in 2008 after his now infamous water-bra comment.
We’ll have to watch and see what the fall out is in the coming weeks.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that I don’t trust the Santa Ana City Council to make a good decision on a replacement .”
Amen …..
That’s all we (don’t) need – another Pulido clone.
I hope that Bustamante stays on the Council long enough that the Council will not have time to replace him – that it will go to a vote of the people during the 2012 election. That is the least that Carlos can do for the residents of Santa Ana.
Sexamonte is a loser! Who would cheat with him except some overweight ugly insecure low end employee. What is C LOS doing now? Tell him to send his resume to It’s Just Lunch. Feel bad for his wife and kids. He is one ugly dude too. Let’s see if we see him dressed up around town thinking he is working.
“Over pay disease”
A rampant disease spreading across high-brow counties and cities in Southern California.
This horrible disease affects the sex organs and mental attitudes of elected and appointed and management employees and politicos of our local cities and counties.
The main cause of this debilitating and highly contagious (spread by glad handing, back slapping, baby kissing, and backroom #@&% etc) disease is “Over Compensation”.
There is treatment options but very little hope for a cure.
Treatments consist of a heavy dose of “Pay cut-a-sited-us ” and in extreme cases “terminus of job or office”
And here in Orange County it is so bad that we may find that “Dissolve and burn to bare earth” is the final options giving the beleaguered residents and taxpayers a fresh start.
Bet anything he was paid to leave: End of the investigation approaching he was given a chance to resign and save face, and given the bonus to do so. That way, no admission on behalf of County has to be made by firing him. Bet the farm he had to sign a release as part of the deal, and confidentialty clause as well. County required to investigate and place on leave – what cause of action does he have against them to sue on? NONE.