City Manager Will Leave Rancho Palos Verdes Post

Rancho Palos Verdes City Manager Dennis McDuffie, under pressure from at least two City Council members, will not seek to extend his contract with the city, Mayor Mel Hughes said Wednesday.

Under an agreement worked out with council members, McDuffie, whose contract expired Wednesday, will serve as a consultant to the city for up to five months, Hughes said.

McDuffie, who came to Rancho Palos Verdes about three years ago from Delano, could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Hughes said that council members did not ask McDuffie to leave. Nevertheless, his departure was preceded by months of friction between him and council members Robert Ryan and John McTaggart.

The councilmen have been publicly critical of McDuffie for his handling of development issues. Last April, Ryan called McDuffie the worst city manager the city has ever had.

McDuffie, in turn, has accused Ryan of being a bully for threatening the jobs of top city officials.

On Wednesday, Ryan declined to comment on McDuffie’s performance. “I suppose our styles clashed,” Ryan said, “and all I can say is I hope he does better in his next job.”

Ryan said McDuffie told council members two weeks ago that he would be leaving, and Ryan speculated that he may have wanted to avoid a potential battle over renewing his contract.

Hughes said McDuffie “just couldn’t manage the city in the way he felt it should be managed. . . . I think Dennis served the city well, and I am sorry to see him go. I wish him well. Being a city manager is a risky business. It is not a job I would like.”

Deputy City Manager Mark Rohloff will serve as acting city manager.