Elena Reyes was hired as Manteca City Manager in 2016 for $190,800 before being dismissed after seven months.

Tim Ogden was hired as Manteca City Manager in 2017 for $190,000 and left after 2½ years after being placed on administrative leave and when the council and Ogden agreed to mutually depart ways.

Miranda Lutzow, on Tuesday, was hired as interim city manager for a year for $240,204 through Feb. 4, 2021.

The vote to ratify Lutzow’s contract was 4-1 with Councilman Dave Breitenbucher dissenting.

Lutzow was picked by the council as the acting city manager while they decided what they wanted to do with Ogden.

The council cleared up wording in the contract to make it clear Lutzow would make $20,017 a month or $240,024 a year. Original contract wording did not state an annual amount but said it would be $20,017 a month and immediately afterwards in parenthesis noted her compensation would be $10,800.17 “biweekly” which comes out to $260,226.20.

The contract also has provisions that would allow her to return to her previous job as administrative services director/human resources director if the council terminates her. That would happen without the city having to pay severance pay. Lutzow would return to the salary and benefits she was earning before in her previous position.

While she is serving as city manager, Lutzow will have the ability to appoint an interim human resources director.

If Lutzow intends to leave the city’s employment while the contract is in effect she must provide a notice of at least three months. The contract makes it clear that Lutzow is an at-will employee that serves at the pleasure of the majority of the council. Given it is an interim position, no specific term of interim employment is implied or guaranteed.

Should she be hired as the permanent city manager, her contract as interim city manager would be terminated as would the guarantee that she could return to her previous job with the city.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com