AGENDA TITLE:
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Public Hearing to Waive the First Reading and Introduce an Ordinance Amending Lodi Municipal Code Chapter 2.12 "City Manager" by Revising Section 2.12.050 "Removal" (CM)
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MEETING DATE:
January 7, 2026
PREPARED BY:
James Lindsay, Interim City Manager
recommendation
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Public hearing to waive the first reading and introduce an ordinance amending Lodi Municipal Code (LMC) Chapter 2.12 "City Manager" by revising LMC Section 2.12.050 "Removal".
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
From October through November 6, 2025, the City Council completed the City Manager removal procedures as specified in LMC Section 2.12.050. In summary, LMC Section 2.12.050 requires: adoption of a preliminary resolution stating Council's reason(s) for the City Manager removal, allows the City Manager to request a public hearing to contest the removal, requires at least 30 days' notice before the removal becomes effective, the City Manager salary must be paid until the removal is effective, and the final removal requires a majority vote of all Councilmembers. After completion of that process, Council asked the Interim City Manager to survey other city municipal codes on removal and bring an agenda item back for Council discussion.
Based on the Interim City Manager's research, and in consultation with the City Attorney's office for legal adequacy, the proposed revisions to LMC Section 2.12.050 align with common provisions seen in other cities. The draft ordinance would require 10 days advance written notice to the City Manager before removal could take effect, and would only allow the Council to remove a City manager in the 90 days following an election where there is a change in the Council membership by majority vote for misconduct or by 4/5 vote for all other reasons. However, the draft ordinance also provides that outside the 90-day period, or if there is no change in Council membership following the election, a majority of the Counci...
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