Finalist in San Bernardino city manager search claims that officials there worked to get him fired in Salinas

San Bernardino officials engage in “a pattern of unprivileged conduct designed to destroy the employment prospects” of city managers.

Carrigan’s Legal Claim

In late 2023, Salinas City Manager Steve Carrigan was the finalist for the city manager vacancy in San Bernardino and to outside observers it seemed like the matter was pretty much a “done deal.”

Things quickly soured and devolved from there. A recently filed legal action by Carrigan’s attorney sheds some light on the matter.

Shortly after being confidentially notified he was the finalist in late August, Carrigan announced that upon reflection he desired to stay in Salinas and could not imagine himself working anywhere else.

Soon afterwards and quite shockingly, the Salinas city council abruptly terminated Carrigan on a 6-0 vote.

Carrigan Lawsuit

In late August, word that Carrigan had been named the finalist had leaked to local officials and the local newspaper.

In the claim filed by Carrigan’s attorney, R. Craig Scott, San Bernardino officials who disfavor city manager candidates are accused of intentionally interfering with and sabotaging the careers of these individuals.

“Council members leak the candidacy of those who are disfavored to the city council where the candidate then works. The wrongful intent and purpose of the city in this effort is to undermine a candidate’s current employment, so that the disfavored candidate becomes insecure and withdraws his candidacy.”

Carrigan’s Legal Claim

It also argues that the animus towards Carrigan was due to him being a white man and that 2 of the 3 councilmembers opposing Carrigan are black and favored a black candidate for the position.

“After Carrigan’s possible appointment as city manager of San Bernardino was considered in a closed session of the San Bernardino City Council, (the recruiter) informed Carrigan that three of the council members wanted a different candidate. Pressed for information, (the recruiter) told Carrigan ‘this is about race.’

Carrigan’s Legal Claim

The claim states that Carrigan withdrew from the San Bernardino recruitment after word leaked out in violation of confidentiality rules and his privacy. But that didn’t save him from ultimately getting fired.

The claim further alleges that due to the public nature of the San Bernardino matter — that Carrigan was passed over for an interim city manager assignment in Pacific Grove, a city near Salinas.

The San Bernardino Sun reports that:

He seeks $2.2 million in damages, including $731,250 that he would have earned during the remainder of his contract in Salinas, $500,000 for damages to his reputation and $1 million from loss of future employment opportunities.