City Manager Elena Reyes and the Manteca City Council are parting ways on April 14.
The announcement came Tuesday evening following a closed door council session.
A release prepared by the city’s legal counsel stated, “The City and Ms. Reyes have decided to end her services as City Manager. Ms. Reyes and the City simply believe this separation is in the best interests of all Parties. The City of Manteca acknowledges Ms. Reyes’ services, hard work, efforts and accomplishments during the time she served as City Manager. Ms. Reyes appreciates the opportunity to have served the City of Manteca as City Manager. Ms. Reyes’ last day of service will be April 14, 2017.”
Reyes has not been at city hall since Nov. 28 when the council placed her on paid administrative leave after several employees filed formal complaints against her.
When she departs, Reyes will have been on the city’s payroll for 246 days of which more than half — 136 days — she will have been on paid leave.
The council tapped then Public Works Deputy Greg Showerman to serve as acting city manager while issues were sorted out and investigated. Showerman is expected to continue to serve as acty city manager until the council finds a replacement. Showerman will not be returning to his previous public works position. The council earlier this month appointed him to serve as the Community Development Director.
Council members declined to make any further comments on the decision. Mayor Steve DeBrum said the council will address how to go about filling the position after Reyes departs in 17 days.
No details have been released yet on Reyes’ severance package if there is any beyond accumulated sick, vacation and personal leave days.
The contract the council approved in June 2016 allowed Reyes to start with 240 hours of accrued sick leave hours, and 160 hours of accrued vacation hours. In addition, on the day she starts she will — based on contract language — “start accruing sick leave and vacation leave on a monthly basis, at a minimum, at the highest rate provided or available to other employees, under the same rules and provisions applicable to the most senior Executive Management.”
That translates into accruing 15.3 hours of vacation each month. She also was entitled to 120 hours of administrative leave for each year of the contract subject to established accrual and cash-put limitations. The contract includes health insurance for herself and eligible dependents, long- and short-term disability insurance, $500,000 life insurance policy, and a $500 a month automobile allowance.
She pays 50 percent of the total cost of her retirement plan and an additional 11 percent toward the employer cost of retirement.
The contract allows for her termination without cause only by an affirmative four-fifths vote of the City Council. If she is terminated while still willing and able to perform the duties of city manager she will receive a lump sum payment equal to 12 months of her salary. 
Reyes started work on July 13, 2016 to replace Karen McLaughlin who retired as city manager.
Reyes is Manteca’s first home-grown city manager. She is a 1974 graduate of East Union High and resides in Lathrop.
She had worked in the private sector and for a school district prior to being hired by the county in 2000. Reyes was serving as the Senior Deputy San Joaquin County Administrator in charge of economic promotion and development when the council hired her.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com