The Banning City Council has placed City Manager Doug Schulze on administrative leave. Last week’s vote was 3-2. Mayor Sheri Flynn, Mayor Pro Tem Richard Royce, and Councilmember Cindy Barrington cast the yes votes. Councilmembers Leroy Miller and Colleen Wallace voted no.
"It’s a matter of looking at some concerns that are sometimes easier to question and look at when the person is not actually there, because other people may feel intimidated," Flynn told the Riverside Record. The mayor said the action was not punitive.
Schulze has served as the city’s top administrator since 2018. He was previously the city manager for Bainbridge Island in Washington.
Schulze is being replaced in the interim by Police Lt. Robert Fisher. He recently returned to city employment after a $2 million wrongful termination suit.