Mayor: Council confident in Rodriguez’s ability to lead city
New Yuma administrator left past position under controversy
Yuma’s newly appointed city administrator will arrive here with the full support of the city council, but his past departures from at least two positions have been under a cloud of uncertainty.
Mayor Doug Nicholls announced Philip Rodriguez as the new administrator during a Monday council special meeting. Nicholls pointed to his more than 17 years of local government experience as one of the deciding factors.
As reported by the Brighton Blade, Rodriguez was fired from his position as city manager of Brighton, Colorado, on July 16 by a 5-4 council vote.
And, in 2013, according to the Dallas News, Rodriguez resigned as the city manager of Fate, Texas, because several council members wanted his resignation and had votes to remove him from his position.
Nicholls said he and the council were aware of the termination, and after “extensive vetting,” they still believed he was the best choice for the position.
“We on council, after an extensive process, unanimously voted this last Monday to appoint Mr. Rodriguez as our next city administrator,” Nicholls said.
He noted that as a part of the recruitment process, Novak Consulting Group, which handled the recruiting process, extensively vetted all candidates. It included candidate screening, phone interviews, internet research, reference checks and thorough background checks.
“This information was used to help inform our decisions throughout the process,” Nicholls said.
The mayor also pointed out that Rodriguez was “very forthcoming” and spoke with both the
consultant and the council about his experience in Brighton and answered all of their questions in depth.
“We have no concerns about his ability to lead the organization. We are excited to be working with him and to welcome him and his family to the Yuma community,” Nicholls added.
BRIGHTON TERMINATION
The Blade reported that Rodriguez’s termination in Brighton “was the conclusion to a months-long conflict between Rodriguez and the five councilors who voted against him. The five cited personnel conflicts between Rodriguez and city staff as the reason for firing him.” The publication also reported that supporters of Rodriguez, including some councilors, said he was fired for being a “whistleblower” after bringing attention to a large amount of “unrestricted
funds” in various utilities funds, totaling $70 million.
According to the Blade, Rodriguez’s attorney, David Herrera, said the five councilors made illegal decisions to hastily terminate the city manager after Rodriguez had brought attention to the utilities cash. Herrera also revealed Rodriguez had written to the Colorado Attorney General and U.S. Department of Justice about the utilities cash, which Herrera claimed further instigated the five councilors.
The ensuing conflict resulted in the recall election against Brighton Mayor Ken Kreutzer, which will occur Nov. 5.
RODRIGUEZ SHARES HIS SIDE
During the two years Rodriguez served in Brighton, he underwent one “incredibly positive” performance evaluation, which resulted in a merit-based salary increase and additional benefits provided by the council.
However, Rodriguez said, within a couple weeks of that review, he brought to light “serious financial issues” in the utilities funds.
“Through the course of that discovery, I sought for the city to become accountable to the community and ensure that the truth was known and problems resolved. The council was divided over these issues and they terminated my employment agreement without cause just two weeks prior to my next scheduled review,” Rodriguez said in an email.
“To date, the city has not provided another reason for the termination of my employment agreement, so new explanations are not more than speculation and rumor.”
Rodriguez noted that throughout the events that transpired, “I kept my integrity and ethics intact and was not fearful of what would happen by making these issues known. It is far more important for me to ensure that we do things lawfully and that the public’s money is always properly accounted for,” he said.
“My departure resulted in community-led audit of the finances over the past decade, and significant water and sewer rate decreases that will ultimately benefit the community. I am proud of my work there and am hopeful for their future,” he added.
SUDDEN RESIGNATION IN TEXAS
Rodriguez’s sudden departure in 2013 from Fate, Texas, after 15 months as city manager, also left unanswered questions, according to the Dallas News, which reported that city officials did not reveal why Rodriguez resigned five months after the council unanimously voted to raise Rodriguez’s salary and car allowance.
According to the Dallas News, a separation agreement between the city and Rodriguez included several stipulations: Rodriguez would not seek re-employment within Fate’s government; he would not disparage the city or file lawsuits against the city; and he would release the city from any claims and obligations.
City officials agreed to provide a letter of recommendation and refrain from disparaging Rodriguez, the newspaper reported.
Then-mayor pro tem John Stacy told the Dallas News that he believes Rodriguez resigned because several council members wanted his resignation and had votes to remove him from his position. Stacy reportedly said that “no one’s been able to give me a good reason” for Rodriguez’s resignation.
Asked for comment on his resignation, Rodriguez said the agreement prevented him from talking about it. “I have had several previous employment positions, and many of those had employment agreements. Several agreements I’ve entered into included confidentiality agreements, which means I am not at liberty to discuss the content of those agreements. I can say definitively though, that the only employment position I have ever held that involved an involuntary termination of my employment was earlier this year, as you are aware,” Rodriguez said.
GRATEFUL FOR OPPORTUNITY
Rodriguez said he is “truly grateful” for the opportunity to serve as Yuma’s city administrator.
“When I was visiting during my interviews, and in subsequent trips with my family to Yuma since, I have been struck by the kindness, warmth and generosity of the people here,” he said.
“Yumans truly care for one another and believe in their community. Those are markers of a great and thriving city, and I know my passion, values and ethics will be a great fit in Yuma.”
He said he is eager to work with the mayor and council “who are united in their purpose” and with a staff “that is an impressive and capable team.”
Rodriguez also looks forward to joining Yuma’s economic development efforts and to helping support and implement a new strategic plan. “This plan will ensure that our services are meeting the needs of our community and will enable us to focus our resources in a way that reflects our highest values and priorities for our city,” he said.
“Of course, that means I need to always be learning and listening and I look forward to hearing from everyone who has a stake in Yuma’s future. We have every reason to believe in and expect great things in our community, and I’m humbled and honored to now play a part,” he added.
Rodriguez and his family are in the process of “making Yuma our home,” and he is already becoming familiar with some of the city’s most pressing issues by visiting with Nicholls, Interim City Administrator Jay Simonton, and several executive leaders at the city.
“Above all, I am very excited to be at the City of Yuma and feel blessed to be a new addition to an already amazing community,” he said.
Rodriguez, the son of a Vietnam veteran and grandson of migrant workers, has been married to his wife for 23 years and is father to two daughters. He has a bachelor’s degree in organizational management with a focus in finance and human resources from Colorado Christian University and a master of public administration from the University of Kansas.