Merced Council terminates contract with new city attorney after just two months

Merced’s new city attorney is out after just two months on the job, the Sun-Star has confirmed.

The city’s contact with Jennifer McGrath, who was hired in March, was terminated Monday by the Merced City Council, following a closed session discussion, City Manager Steve Carrigan confirmed to the Sun-Star.

It was not immediately clear why the contract was terminated after just two months. Authorities did not provide further details Monday night and Carrigan did not elaborate.

McGrath, 47, was hired in March, replacing Randolph Hom, who quit Dec. 20 last year, after just nine months on the job. for a better paying position in Cupertino.

A three-month search for a replacement resulted in McGrath’s hiring. She has more than 20 years of experience in municipal law and was set to make $180,000 annually in Merced.

This developing story will be updated.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 10:21 PM with the headline "Merced Council terminates contract with new city attorney after just two months."