Riverside City Manager Mike Futrell announced Wednesday that he will voluntarily step down next month, concluding more than three and a half years as the city’s top administrator.
His resignation is effective July 5, officials said.
The City Council wished Futrell well in his future endeavors.
“I want to thank Mike Futrell for his service to the City of Riverside and his contributions over the past three and a half years,” Mayor Pro Tem Steven Robillard said in a statement. “Riverside has tremendous momentum, and I remain optimistic about the direction of our city. With dedicated employees, strong community partnerships, and exciting opportunities ahead, we are well-positioned to continue building on our progress.”
The council will discuss next steps for the recruitment of a new city manager in the coming weeks, officials said.
No reason was given for Futrell’s resignation, but his departure coincides with a legal battle between his wife Susan Freeman and the city. Freeman filed a legal claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, on June 11 allegeing the city investigated her without due process in retaliation for criticism of public officials. The legal claim followed a letter from the Riverside City Council sent to Freeman alleging she harassed municipal employees, which she has denied.
Futrell posted this statement Wednesday on Facebook:
“After careful consideration, last night I voluntarily stepped down as city manager of Riverside as part of a mutually agreed upon leadership transition. Serving this community has been one of the great honors of my professional life. I am proud of what our team accomplished together and deeply grateful to Riverside’s dedicated employees, community partners, and residents. Their commitment to public service and to the future of this city is extraordinary.
“Riverside is a remarkable community with tremendous opportunity ahead. I leave with gratitude for the privilege of serving and with great confidence in the city’s future,” the statement concluded.
Futrell has been placed on paid administrative leave until he officially departs, and the city has agreed to pay him a lump-sum severance totaling nine months of his regular salary and retirement contributions plus one month of health benefits, Robillard said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
The announcement this week was the second time Futrell has recently indicated plans to leave. In April he accepted an offer to become Pasadena’s city manager, but the Riverside council’s letter detailing allegations against Freeman derailed that.
Assistant City Manager Edward Enriquez will serve as acting city manager while the council searches for Futrell’s permanent replacement, officials told reporters Wednesday.
New city attorney
The city also has finalized an agreement with James Johnson to be the new city attorney, officials said. Ex-City Attorney Phaedra Norton filed a lawsuit alleging she was terminated last year for reporting that a City Council member had given confidential information to a friend who was suing the city.
Johnson will leave his current position as general counsel for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. Johnson will start in Riverside on July 17.
“Mr. Johnson brings a wealth of experience, professionalism, and leadership in public-sector legal services,” Robillard, who led the recruitment, said in a statement. “The City Council looks forward to partnering with him as we continue advancing Riverside’s priorities and serving our community.”
Johnson has served as the HACLA’s legal counsel for more than 7 years, where he has advised the agency on all legal matters, including public housing and Section 8 programs, real estate acquisitions, disposition and redevelopment activities, asset management, contracting along with public entity law and governance. He received awards from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials for his work on HACLA’s University and Law Clerk programs.
“We are pleased to welcome James Johnson to the City of Riverside as our next City Attorney,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a statement. “His extensive legal and public service experience will be a valuable asset to our organization, and I look forward to working with him as we continue serving the Riverside community.”
Johnson previously worked as a deputy county counsel and in other positions for four years in LA County. While deputy county counsel, he also served as general counsel for Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in Los Angeles County.
He also was an adjunct professor of business and criminal law at California State University, Long Beach.
Johnson served one term on the Long Beach City Council, representing the 7th District and was a board member of the Southern California Association of Governments. Before joining the City Council, he was Long Beach’s assistant city auditor and a senior policy advisor.
Johnson earned his juris doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was president of the Student Bar Association. He finished in the top 10% of his class, and was recognized for excellence in advanced legal research. He earned an associate’s degree with honors from Harvard University, where he was on the Dean’s List and received the John Harvard Scholarship.
“I am very gratified to have been selected as Riverside’s next city attorney,” Johnson said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the mayor, City Council, staff and the larger community to further the city’s success.”
Setbacks at City Hall
Futrell’s exit also coincides with Riverside officials receiving criticism over an internal investigation alleging two senior code enforcement officers got into physical altercations with street vendors and improperly confiscated their property. The investigation also revealed allegations that supervisors retaliated against a whistleblower who reported the conduct.
City officials are also contending with voters’ rejection of a ballot measure that sought a sales tax increase and extension. Officials had hoped to use the tax revenue to pay for an overhaul of the Riverside Fire Department. Some City Hall observers described the failed tax hike as a referendum on local leadership.
