Modesto City Clerk, citing hostile work environment, announces retirement
Modesto’s longtime city clerk has announced she is retiring because she claims she continues to face a hostile work environment, and the new City Council won’t look into her allegations of improper billing practices by a former city attorney.
Stephanie Lopez has served as city clerk since May 2008 and worked for the city since March 2001. As one of the city’s four charter officers, she reports directly to the City Council, which has the authority to hire and dismiss the charter officers.
In a letter delivered to the city Friday afternoon by her attorney — Mike Dyer of Stockton — Lopez, 61, wrote she was giving her 60 days’ notice as required by her employment contract and would retire Oct. 5.
“It is with a heavy heart that I hereby notify you of my retirement from the City of Modesto,” Lopez wrote. “... I had hoped to continue in this position to serve the wonderful people of Modesto (I had not planned on retiring for another 1-2 years) ... .”
But Lopez wrote that was not possible after the city conducted an incomplete and biased investigation of her complaints of harassment by former Councilman Doug Ridenour and the “complete failure” of the City Council to look into former City Attorney Adam Lindgren’s “inflated billings and absence from the job.”
The investigation was completed in 2019.
Lindgren no longer serves as city attorney for reasons not related to Lopez’s allegations. But his firm, Meyers Nave, continues to provide city attorney services for Modesto, and Meyers Nave attorney Jose Sanchez serves as city attorney. Lindgren has denied Lopez’s allegations, saying they have no merit.
Lopez wrote in her resignation letter that she had hoped the new City Council “would change the current hostile environment and actually address the issues of past improper billing,” but said she learned that would not be the case after meeting with Mayor Sue Zwahlen and Vice Mayor Rosa Escutia-Braaton.
Mayor says it’s a personnel matter
Lopez wrote it was made clear to her from the meeting that she was not a team player, would continue to have her pay reduced if she did not keep quiet about wrongdoing, and the new mayor and City Council “wanted a fresh start with a new younger City Clerk.”
Lopez added the City Council did not want checks-and-balances oversight and that Modesto has not had a city auditor since November 2018. An auditor would have the authority to look into all of the city’s operations and practices and report back to the City Council with his or her findings and recommendations.
Zwahlen and Escutia-Braaton were among the four newcomers on the seven-member City Council, with three of them elected in November 2020. Zwhalen became mayor after winning a February runoff election.
The Bee contacted Deputy City Manager Caluha Barnes and Zwahlen for comment Friday afternoon regarding Lopez’s allegations. Zwahlen issued this response by email: “As this is a personnel matter, I am unable to provide any comment at this time.”
The City Council on Tuesday is expected to meet in closed session regarding the performance evaluations of Lopez, City Manager Joe Lopez (who is not related to the city clerk) and Sanchez, the city attorney.
5% pay cut for city clerk
The previous council voted 4-3 in December to reduce Lopez’s $141,024 salary by 5% after another investigation concluded she had emailed public documents without having the city attorney’s office first review them and included comments critical of city officials, primarily the city attorney, in her emails.
The current council voted 6-1 in July to continue the 5% reduction for an additional six months. Councilman Tony Madrigal voted “no.”
Lopez was perceived as an ally of Mayor Ted Brandvold, who lost his attempt at a second term to Zwahlen. Brandvold presided over a divided and at times dysfunctional City Council. Lopez has said she was seen as a whistle-blower and punished for bringing her concerns to Brandvold.
Lopez and her attorneys sued Modesto and Ridenour in March in Stanislaus County Superior Court, alleging harassment, mistreatment and retaliation. Ridenour and the city have denied the allegations against them.
Lopez ended her letter by wishing the best to the city’s residents. “They deserve leadership equal to the many dedicated unelected public servants who have so faithfully served this wonderful community over the last two decades,” she wrote.
This story was originally published August 8, 2021 at 6:19 AM.
