Another Anaheim city official has stepped down amid transparency concerns. City Manager Jim Vanderpool resigned on Tuesday as scrutiny mounted over a 2020 Lake Havasu trip paid for by the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce.
Vanderpool was recently questioned about the trip in closed session. Last month, the Fair Political Practices Commission also opened an investigation into his failure to disclose the trip on his Form 700 statement of economic interests.
Vanderpool has said he was not required to report the trip because he did not know the chamber had paid for his lodging. He also contends that the value of the accommodations was offset by out-of-pocket food and beverage expenses. According to Vanderpool, the city’s ethics officer agrees he had no duty to disclose the travel. Mayor Ashleigh Aitken has since called for the ethics officer’s memo on the matter to be released publicly.
Vanderpool was appointed City Manager in September 2020 following the termination of Chris Zapata. Deputy City Manager Greg Garcia will serve as the acting city manager while Anaheim searches for a replacement.
Councilmember Ryan Balius praised Vanderpool for providing Anaheim with “a level of consistency” and for steering the city through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I hope as we move forward and select the next city manager, we’ll focus on the qualifications, the experience and the capacities necessary to effectively lead our city,” Balius added.
Read more from the Orange County Register, Voice of OC, and the Los Angeles Times.
This article has been updated.