Why did Turlock’s acting city manager accept the job? What he’s done since retiring
Gary Hampton’s return to the Turlock City Manager’s Office started with a phone call the weekend after the City Council put Toby Wells on investigative leave.
Over the phone, a City Council member asked him if he would be willing to help as acting city manager, Hampton said.
“The city has always been good to me and my family,” Hampton said Wednesday. “I enjoyed my career there so I’m certainly always willing to come back and help the city in any way possible.”
After retiring as Turlock’s city manager in 2017, Hampton volunteered as a reserve officer for the Turlock Police Department from April 2019 to October 2020. In the unpaid position, he worked directly for the chief’s office and did consulting work on department planning and vision, Sgt. Michael Parmley said in an email.
But Hampton is not working as acting city manager for free. The council plans to approve a monthly salary of $16,308 to compensate Hampton amid an investigation into Wells, whom the council put on leave on Jan. 7.
Council Member Nicole Larson, the only official who voted against appointing Hampton on Jan. 12, said the city could have saved money by selecting a current employee as acting city manager.
“I expect this investigation of Toby Wells to be concluded quickly,” Larson said in a text to The Bee. “If there are no negative findings, I also expect Mr. Wells to return to his City duties and responsibilities without any repercussions or retaliation. I appreciate that Mr. Hampton has city management experience, that said, we have fantastic leaders at our director and staff level that could have stepped into this role during this brief period.”
Putting Wells on leave, Larson added, was unwarranted. The city has given no further details on the investigatory leave since the closed session meeting. Wells will receive full pay and benefits while on leave, per his contract approved when the council hired him in March 2020.
Turlock mayor vouches for appointee’s experience
Mayor Amy Bublak said she voted to appoint Hampton because the city’s executive team is lean and she believes the council needs an experienced city manager.
“Mr. Hampton will bring integrity, experience and a knowledge of our city necessary to lead council and staff during these uncertain times,” Bublak said in a text to The Bee.
Hampton served as Turlock’s city manager from April 2016 to July 2017 after working as Turlock police chief and interim city manager between 2006 and 2011. He was Tracy’s police chief and city administrator in between those periods.
Bublak said Hampton’s past hostile work environment claim against Turlock does not affect his ability to serve as an effective acting city manager. Back in 2017, Hampton retired six weeks early and filed a claim alleging former city officials bullied him for refusing to join a conspiracy.
Then-City Attorney Phaedra Norton encouraged him to file a claim for lost wages, Bublak said. Hampton ultimately reached a $39,000 settlement with the city, which represented the pay and benefits he missed by retiring early.
Acting city manager plans to stay retired
Hampton told The Bee he is not interested in working as city manager on a permanent basis again. While he has done consulting and worked on special projects for cities in the past three years, Hampton said he is retired. The California public employment retirement system prevents him from working more than 690 hours per year, he said.
“I’ve been working in government for 38 years and I’m cutting back,” said Hampton, 59. “I’m not interested in returning to full-time employment.”
Full-time city managers typically work 65 to 75 hours a week, Hampton said. Working at that rate, he could hit the retiree working limit in about nine weeks.
The council plans to approve Hampton’s compensation at step one of the city manager salary schedule during the next regular meeting on Jan. 26.
