Turlock to again hire an acting city manager. Leadership turnover continues
The Turlock City Council on Tuesday is scheduled to appoint an acting city manager because Interim City Manager Sarah Eddy took a medical leave of absence, per a staff report.
If hired, Daniel Madden will be the fifth person to work the top leadership position on a temporary or permanent basis since August 2019.
City staff recommend Madden, who retired as Turlock’s municipal services director in 2013, until Eddy returns from medical leave. His appointment will not exceed one year, per the report for the council meeting.
Madden already works for the city on a temporary basis. The council appointed Madden as the interim municipal services director on Aug. 24. If it approves the acting city manager resolution, Madden will work both jobs and track the time he works each role.
The retiree stands to make $87 per hour working as acting city manager and earns $78 per hour leading the municipal services department. He cannot work more than 960 hours per fiscal year as a retiree of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS).
Eddy has served as interim city manager since late May, when previous Acting City Manager Gary Hampton said he hit his maximum hours working as a retiree receiving a CalPERS pension. Hampton had worked as acting city manager since January, after the council put former City Manager Toby Wells on investigative leave.
Wells signed a separation agreement in May, less than 15 months after the council hired him in March 2020. Prior to Wells, Michael Cooke served as interim city manager after Bob Lawton resigned in August 2019. Lawton worked as city manager for just over 13 months.
Plan to hire interim fire chief, too
The council on Tuesday also is set to hire Michael Botto as interim fire chief. Botto retired as the Oakdale fire chief in 2009 and most recently worked as the interim fire chief for Ceres. He coordinated Ceres’ fire services contract with Modesto, which supporters said makes Ceres residents safer with better services available faster at a lower cost.
Chad Hackett, the firefighters union president, previously told The Bee the city planned to hire Botto after Interim Fire Chief Gary Carlson retires. Carlson is scheduled to retire Tuesday after leading the department since June 2019, when Turlock fired Robert Talloni, citing incompatible management styles. Talloni had served as chief since December 2015.
Botto stands to make $86 per hour and cannot work more than 960 hours this fiscal year as a CalPERS retiree. If appointed per the draft resolution, Botto will work the position until a permanent chief is hired and for no more than 18 months.
Since July, Turlock has hired four retirees to temporarily fill interim department head positions while recruiting candidates. The city hired Julie Burke on July 13 as interim finance director, Kellie Weaver on July 27 as interim city clerk, Hampton on Aug. 10 as interim police chief and Madden on Aug. 24 as interim municipal services director.
This story was originally published September 14, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
