Williams resigns as city manager amid controversy
Milpitas City Manager Tom Williams has resigned, ending a 10-year run that was occasionally mired in controversy over his handling of personnel issues and saw him placed on paid administrative leave the past few months after a run-in with the city’s new mayor.
City Attorney Christopher Diaz made the announcement one hour after the Milpitas City Council, minus Mayor Rich Tran, went into a closed meeting that had five items mostly related to Williams on the agenda. They included a performance evaluation of the city manager and a public employee discipline/dismissal/release.
Although the council last month initiated the process to terminate him while he sought arbitration with the city, Williams offered his resignation “by way of retirement effective as of last Friday,” Diaz said.
“And the council has given direction to staff to open a recruitment in order to find a qualified city manager to run the organization. The city will not comment any further on this matter due to the city manager’s pending litigation against the city,” Diaz added..
Vice Mayor Marsha Grilli would not comment Monday on Williams’ resignation, citing litigation. She did say that Acting City Manager and Interim Police Chief Steve Pangelinan would stay on until a new city manager is found.
Williams has been on paid administrative leave since May 18 for allegedly misusing city funds to pay for his personal attorney fees. In June, Williams backed off from his threat to sue Milpitas and Tran, who he accused of “harassment, discrimination and retaliation,” and instead asked to arbitrate the dispute and sought $1 million in damages.
Grilli said that findings of the council’s investigation into Williams’ conduct won’t be divulged as long as a judge’s temporary injunction against the release of documents related to his employment remains in effect.
Williams’ attorney, Claire Cochran of San Francisco-based Ad Astra Law Group, did not respond to a request for comment about Williams’ resignation.
Tran, the focus of Williams’ ire over these last few months, took no part in the council’s closed session on Monday.