Mayor George Fasching blasted a group of nine former mayors for distributing an open letter that accused the new City Council of breaking the law by asking City Manager George Watts to resign.
City Manager Donald Duckworth's surprise resignation came after a closed session of a City Council meeting. He said he was no longer able to carry out the council's policies.
The seven candidates who vie for two open City Council seats represent two rival political factions which stem from one political event four years ago; the firing of City Manager George Watts in May 1992.
The former city manager of Visalia has unanimously been selected to serve as the new Arcadia City Manager. Donald Duckworth will be officially sworn in at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
William Kelly has been appointed Arcadia City Manager after holding the Acting City Manager position for 7 months following the resignation of Donald Duckworth. Kelly began working for the city as a community development director in November, 1993.
William Woolard, 50, Arcadia Planning Director for 22 years, resigned at the recommendation of City Manager Don Duckworth and a 4-1 City Council vote, with Robert Harbicht opposed. Woolard was asked to leave because of departmental reorganization, Duckworth said.
The City Council asked Bill Woolard, 50, the City's Planning Director and Employee of the Year in 1993, to resign last month, then rehired him a week later as a temporary consultant.
Nine City Council candidates discuss the salaries of city employees who make over $100,000, the salary survey requested by citizens, and the hiring of Don Penman, Assistant City Manager.
George Fasching, owner of Fasching's Car Wash who joined the City Council two years ago, was chosen as the city's mayor on Tuesday, replacing four-time mayor, Charles Gilb.
Shortly before the city cut $400,000 in salaries and programs to help close a nearly $1 million budget shortfall, the city's managers and supervisors asked the City Council to consider giving them what they termed long-overdue raises.
Incumbents Sheng Chang and Barbara Kuhn failed in their bids for re-election to City Council as voters gave first-time candidate Gail Marshall, former Mayor Roger Chandler and council appointee Gary Kovacic the nod for the next four years. Gino Roncilli came in well ahead of former Mayor George Fasching for the two year seat. Voters also gave thumbs down to Measure A, a ballot initiative that would have added 2 percent to the current 5 percent utility tax for the next four years.