The Lodi City Council voted 4-0 Friday to appoint Parks and Recreation Director Christina Jaromay as the acting city manager pending an investigation into comments made by City Manager Scott Carney.
Carney was placed on administrative leave last week. The vote was 3-2, with council members Lisa Craig-Hensley and Alan Nakanishi voting no.
At issue are allegations Carney made during an April 1 meeting when he accused city officials of using public funds for their personal expenses. Carney also alleged that City Attorney Katie Lucchessi and City Clerk Olivia Nashed altered city documents without his knowledge before the meeting.
Mayor Cameron Bregman has denied Carney’s allegations. Furthermore, he says the city manager broke protocol by bringing up a non-agendized item involving an ongoing personnel investigation at a public meeting.
The decision to place Carney on leave has divided members of the community. While some residents agree he should face discipline for how he handled the situation, Carney’s defenders say he was doing his job by drawing attention to possible malfeasance.
The city says it is investigating Carney’s claims, but the council appears ready to fire him. Former mayor and city councilmember Mark Chandler is among those urging the council to reconsider any potential termination plans.
The mayor hopes an investigation into the malfeasance claims will be complete within 45 days. The council will meet again on Wednesday, April 16.