Turlock considers hiring former Stanislaus CEO—who resigned amid scandal—as city manager
Former Stanislaus County CEO Reagan Wilson, who resigned in 2003 after concealing business ties, could begin working as Turlock’s city manager on Wednesday.
The Turlock City Council is scheduled to vote on hiring Wilson Tuesday, per the agenda packet, more than a year after officials started going without a permanent city manager.
Wilson served as county CEO from January 1993 to July 2003, when he resigned after failing to publicly disclose his private business relationship with a consultant, The Bee previously reported. Wilson apologized to the Board of Supervisors before resigning but said the advice of his friend, the consultant R. Lee Torrens, saved county taxpayers more than $12 million.
After he resigned, the county deducted about $20,000 from his last paycheck because Wilson used his county credit card for invalid purchases. A 2003 Bee investigation of county records found Wilson once paid for a $220 massage at a New York City hotel with the government credit card.
Wilson stands to make a base annual salary of $197,640 as Turlock’s next city manager, per the pending employment agreement. The annual salary is about $20,000 less than what Turlock paid former City Manager Toby Wells, who separated from the city in May 2021.
The council voted 3-2 to put Wells on investigatory leave in January 2021 and has filled the city manager position on an interim basis since then. In the council staff report, Interim City Manager Sarah Eddy said Wilson is the leading candidate for Turlock’s top management position.
“Mr. Wilson was quite forthright about his errors in judgment surrounding his departure as County CEO,” Eddy said in an email to The Bee Monday. “I think his directness about what he learned from the experience approximately 19 years ago was refreshing. I don’t expect it will adversely affect his tenure as Turlock City Manager.”
Wilson has not worked a government job since resigning from the county in 2003, Eddy said. The agenda report does not list Wilson’s current job, nor any of his work history other than referencing a 30-year career in various leadership positions.
Reached by phone, Wilson said he is retired and works as a farmer at a walnut ranch located between Stevinson and Hilmar. He lives in Stevinson.
“I’m looking forward to the council making a decision,” Wilson said.
His other previous jobs include running both Alternative Energy Group Inc. and Phoenix Rising Development Inc. as president, per his LinkedIn profile. Both companies are closed, Wilson said Monday. The companies dealt with reducing air pollution and developing solar energy facilities, per his profile.
Turlock’s city manager position has a high turnover rate. Since 2015, eight people have served as Turlock’s city manager on a permanent or temporary basis. Some worked the role multiple times in separate stints.
Since 2015, the position has been filled by Roy Wasden, Michael Cooke, Gary Hampton, Robert Talloni, Robert Lawton, Toby Wells, Dan Madden and Sarah Eddy.
This story was originally published February 7, 2022 at 12:33 PM.
