Another interim Turlock city manager appointed as turnover continues
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Gary Hampton approved as interim city manager; it's his fourth time.
- City posted permanent city manager job with $18,450–$22,425 monthly pay.
- Turlock has had 11 different city managers over the past decade.
Resigned. Terminated. Retired.
Over the past decade, Turlock has had 11 different city managers, many of whom served in the role on a temporary basis.
At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Gary Hampton was approved to be the next interim city manager, replacing Sue Borrego, the current interim manager. This will be Hampton’s fourth time in the role.
In a resignation letter dated Feb. 5, Borrego wrote to the mayor and City Council that she had committed to serving as interim city manager for one year, and that time has now ended.
“I have absolutely enjoyed my tenure as City Manager,” wrote Borrego. “I am incredibly proud of the milestones we have achieved together for our community, and I want to thank you for the trust and partnership you extended to me during this time. We were able to clean up several longstanding challenges and the city is in a strong financial position.”
She added that she plans to serve as deputy city manager and oversee several key projects through April.
“She brought a nice rudder to the ship and [I] just want to let you know how much we appreciate that,” said Councilmember Kevin Bixel about Borrego.
Hampton, former Turlock police chief, first stepped in as interim city manager in 2009 after then–city Manager Tim Kerr was fired. He later left to become police chief in Tracy, where he also served as interim assistant city manager and public safety director.
In April 2016, Hampton was appointed to the city manager position before retiring from the city of Turlock in July 2017. During his final year, he took a leave for an unspecified medical procedure, with City Attorney Phaedra Norton serving as interim city manager during his monthlong absence.
Hampton retired six weeks early and filed a claim alleging former city officials bullied and retaliated against him for refusing to use his influence to help Norton get the appointment to succeed him. He ultimately reached a $39,000 settlement with the city for the pay and benefits he missed by retiring early.
Hampton’s expected wages this time are $129.38 per hour, with a California Public Employees’ Retirement System restriction of a maximum number of hours of 960 per fiscal year. CalPERS prevents retired annuitants from working more than 960 hours per fiscal year for government agencies participating in it, as Turlock does. Hampton will not receive any other benefits or compensation other than his hourly wages.
Teacher Mike Barco said during public comment that Hampton was one of the first people who helped him when he approached the city. “He’s a good man, a good American,” Barco said. “It’s good to bring him back to get us to the next phase we need to be at.”
Last week, the city also posted the application for the permanent city manager position.
“As our next City Manager, you’ll work side by side with residents, City Council, local partners and dedicated staff to move Turlock forward. The ideal candidate brings proven leadership, a heart for public service, and drive community-focused solutions that support our city’s continued growth and success,” reads a social media post from the city of Turlock.
The posted monthly salary is $18,450 to $22,425. The first review of applications is scheduled for March 31, and the recruitment will remain open until the position is filled.
Turlock’s former city managers
The city manager position in Turlock has been a revolving door.
Roy Wasden was the longest-serving city manager in the past decade, holding the position for more than six years. Before joining Turlock in 2009, he spent nine years as chief of the Modesto Police Department, leading the search for Laci Peterson.
Wasden retired at the end of 2015 and moved to Utah to be closer to family.
After Wasden, Turlock Municipal Services Director Michael Cooke stepped in as interim city manager, serving in the position for five months.
Turlock Fire Chief Robert Talloni began as Interim city manager in July 2017, after Hampton’s second tenure ended, and served until Robert Lawton’s appointment in July 2018.
A year later, Lawton fired his predecessor, Talloni, as fire chief over a personnel issue.
Lawton then abruptly resigned in 2019 after a closed-session job evaluation. In his letter, Lawton wrote, “Together we have illuminated Turlock’s fiscal challenges, prepared and adopted a structurally balanced budget and taken up the task of charting a path for progress. It is with these successes in mind that I look to my own future, and new opportunities that lie ahead.”
At the time, City Attorney Doug White told the Turlock Journal that compensation was not the issue in attracting candidates. Instead, he pointed to the city’s dire financial situation, saying few people were eager to take on a role that could involve potential layoffs in a strong economy.
Cooke, who had continued to serve as the city’s municipal services director, returned to take over as interim city manager following Lawton’s resignation. He left the city in 2020 and now is the director of water resources and regulatory affairs at the Turlock Irrigation District.
In 2020, the city hired Toby Wells, who began the role in March. Eight months later, after a new Turlock City Council was elected, friction emerged between Wells and three council members, leading to his placement on investigatory leave. Hampton returned as interim city manager.
In May 2021, the City Council approved a settlement agreement with Wells.
Wells worked as Modesto’s city engineer for two months in 2021 before becoming Manteca’s city manager — that city’s sixth manager in six years. He resigned after only seven months on the job. Wells returned as Modesto’s city engineer in 2023 and still holds that position.
In May 2021, Turlock Human Resources Manager Sarah Eddy was appointed as acting city manager, taking over from Hampton. She served until February 2022 — minus a brief medical leave in 2021, during which time Director of Municipal Services Dan Madden took over.
After Eddy, former Stanislaus County Chief Executive Officer Reagan Wilson was appointed to the role in a split vote. Wilson had resigned as county CEO in 2003 after allegedly concealing business ties and using a county credit card for invalid purchases.
Wilson retired from the city in May 2025, which led to Borrego, former interim president of Stanislaus State University and Turlock deputy city manager, in the interim role.
Mike Lynch, a Turlock resident and Modesto political consultant, told The Bee he doesn’t think Turlock has a management issue, because the city appears to conduct itself professionally.
“If the city was not well run, that’d be a different question,” Lynch said.
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 11:54 AM.
