Note to Orange County City Managers: When Adam Elmahrek, investigative reporter from Voice of Orange County, comes knocking on your door your house better be in order. Last night, Anaheim City Manager Thomas Wood announced that he would be resigning effective December 8th. This is the third high level resignation in Anaheim City management since Elmahrek’s investigations raised conflict of interest questions regarding its building division.
Elmahrek writes in his report last night on the resignation:
City Council members want to move “in a different direction regarding the management of the city,” according to the release, and offered Wood “the opportunity to resign” during the closed session portion of Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Simply put, Wood was given the opportunity to resign rather than be fired.
Wood will be paid six months severance per his contract with the city, according to the release, and will continue to receive medical, dental, life insurance benefits and retirement credits through June 2012.
Wood has served the city for over 20 years and has held the positions of deputy city manager and assistant city manager, the release said.
Read Elmahrek’s complete report here.
I’m not sure that Elmahrek’s reporting puts him in the position to challenge OC Weekly’s R. Scott Moxley for the title of “Most Feared Reporter” in Orange County, but it brings him close to that mark. In recognition of his accomplishment Adam Elmahrek shall be known as the City Manager Slayer, for toppling the City Manager of Orange County’s largest city Anaheim, a Mickey Mouse operation.
wow, so three cities — Anaheim, Santa Ana and Tustin — all with new city managers in a short period of time.
Yeah, and rumor has it that the comedy team of Nielsen and Murray have picked a new one for Tustin but they’re afraid to tell Jerry.
@Chris, some men are king makers, some mean are king breakers.
Good job Adam, please start with the CITY COUNCIL OF SANTA ANA, this one need to be clean before is to late.
Yet Mr. Elmahrek seems like such a nice young man!
“The Pen is Mightier than the Sword!”