Gonzalez thanks El Paso after city council votes to terminate his employment as City Manager
UPDATE 9:28 p.m. El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser released a statement on Gonzalez's termination, saying, “Today the City Council exercised its right to end the City Manager’s employment with the City of El Paso in accordance with his amended and restated employment agreement. I want to thank Mr. Gonzalez for his 8 years of service to the City. Mr. Gonzalez will receive a 120-day written notice as per his contract, and we will inform the public additional steps going forward once they are finalized. As always, I will proceed in the best interest of the citizens of El Paso.”
UPDATE: 4:18 p.m. El Paso City Manager delivered remarks following the vote by the city council to terminate his contract. He thanked the team he's developed over the years, the city council, and the community.
"We love El Paso, this has been a great situation," said Gonzalez. "The council today exercised a clause that is in the agreement and so, I haven't talked to anyone, and I'm just insinuating that they want different leadership."
Gonzalez said he had no indication two council reps would bring up the issue of termination, saying it was without cause. "I respect that. That's a process. That's what the agreement says, and I honor all my agreements with the cities that I work with," said Gonzalez.
UPDATE (2:55) - In a 5-4 vote City council passed the motion to terminate Gonzalez's employment.
Brian Kennedy, Alexsandra Annello, Joe Monlinar, and Art Fierro voted for the termination. Voting against the termination, Cassandra Hernandez, Isabel Salcido, Henry Rivera, and Chris Canales. Mayor Oscar Leeser cast the tie-breaking vote.
Gonzalez will be given 120 days' notice of the intent to terminate.
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – El Paso City Council is set to discuss and take action on the Employment Agreement between the City of El Paso and the City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez.
City Council Representative Brian Kennedy and Rep. Joe Molinar put the item on the agenda for Tuesday morning.
Public comment before the discussion of the item had over 2 hours worth of speakers signed up to speak, including Former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo.
Margo stands behind Gonzalez and tells ABC-7 the item on this agenda makes no sense.
"I'm somewhat flabbergasted on how a council member could put something on here whose been in office for not even eight weeks and to make a judgment on the CEO of the city, the Chief Operating Officer of the City, with 6,000 employees and $1 billion budget makes no sense," he said.
After public comment, Rep. Brian Kennedy motioned to give Gonzalez 120 days' notice before terminating his employment.
There was some debate about whether the item should be discussed in open session, but after receiving outside legal council, members were advised to move it to executive session.
