Why did (yet another) Atwater city manager suddenly quit the job?

Reasons behind the most recent resignation of a city manager in Atwater remain uncertain and has left an information vacuum for residents, which - like many issues in the city - has sparked an argument between two feuding camps within the city council and their supporters.

Ex-City Manager Art de Werk resigned Tuesday and has not explained why publicly.

Several people commenting on the Sun-Star's website and social media pages argue de Werk left because of what could have come out in the background that he asked for earlier this year. De Werk said he wanted to clear up any questions about his departure from the city of Ceres in 2014, so he requested the type of background usually reserved for a police officer.

Others in Atwater commented that Mayor Jim Price "bullied" de Werk into quitting after just three months at the helm. Price voiced his opposition to hiring de Werk from the beginning, and said he was uncomfortable not knowing why de Werk left Ceres four years ago.

De Werk issued a statement via text message on Wednesday in which he said he could not comment on city business, though he expressed "every confidence" in city staffers.

"I do not, nor have I ever had any concerns related to my background," he wrote.

Public bickering among members of the council and their respective supporters is common, as is online bickering among citizens. Former Councilman Larry Bergman took to the Sun-Star's website to blame Price, Councilman James Vineyard and their supporters.

"Politics in the City of Atwater are similar to a childs (sic) sandbox," he wrote. "When the Bullies (sic) do not get their way they kick sand in the faces of innocent people."

Asked about accusations of bullying, Price said "I don't know what that's supposed to mean."

He went on to say closed session confidentiality keeps him from discussing de Werk.

"Art de Werk made the decision that he made and only he knows the reasons that are behind it," he said on Wednesday. "I wish him well in his future endeavors and thank him for his service to the community."

Getting clear information can be difficult in Atwater. The background check in question was discontinued the day de Werk resigned, according to City Attorney Douglas White. There will be no report provided to the city or the public, which is standard, he said.

"There's no point to do a background check for an employee that's no longer an employee with the city," he said.

Interim City Manager Lori Waterman, who was serving as deputy city manager until Tuesday, is the fifth city manager in Atwater since Dec. 2016. Waterman was overseeing the development services until being named one of two deputy city managers last week on March 26.

With a deficit of about $2.5 million in the general fund, a debt of more than $2 million to its own sewer fund and unfunded liabilities of about $7.75 million to employee pensions, city leaders are facing down difficult decisions that could lead to cuts in several city services.

The city has taken steps in the past week to try to cut $1 million in spending. At the same time, the city spent $37,000 on the search and attorney fees that led to hiring de Werk, according to numbers from the finance department, and another unspecified expense on the now defunct background check.

The instability in the city's administration partnered with its economic troubles has some city leaders worrying publicly that the city could be unincorporated by state officials.

"It would decrease our services and our way of life," Councilmember Cindy Vierra said. "It's absolutely something we're steering away from. In no way is that an option for us."

In de Werk's three months on the job he drew ire from public speakers and questions surrounding his previous job in Ceres. Less than three weeks into his interim role, de Werk placed Police Chief Joseph on administrative leave and named Armando Echevarria as interim chief.

Joseph was placed on leave around the same time de Werk launched an independent review of all departments and the city’s police union released a statement saying they passed a ‘no-confidence’ vote in the chief without providing any specific numbers. The chief's suspension angered many in the community but also exposed a rift in the department - that an unspecified portion of the department supported the suspension of Joseph.

It’s unclear how de Werk’s departure affects the review connected to Joseph’s leave. Also during de Werk’s time as the top staffer, former City Attorney Tom Terpstra resigned from Atwater.

Price said leaders are considering another budget study session to see which parts of de Werk's plan to keep and which to change. That meeting is not yet official, he said.

Councilmember Paul Creighton said it may be hard for the public to see progress but assured residents there is a plan in place to get the city out of debt. But, he said the city suffers from a "lack of leadership" and the council's "internal" dysfunction.

"It's completely confusing to the average citizen," he said.

The council will begin making the "fast and easy" cuts to spending, and setting up long-term savings as they become available, he said. Moves like privatizing services could take months to put in place.

The city could also benefit from selling unnecessary property.

"We have to save the city first and worry about the effects secondarily," he said.

This story was originally published April 4, 2018 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Why did (yet another) Atwater city manager suddenly quit the job?."