BUENA PARK : Finance Director Quits After 3 Months

Citing personal reasons and conflicts with city administrators, Director of Finance Brian Mayhew has resigned after less than three months on the job.

“There were a lot of reasons,” said Mayhew. “It just wasn’t working out with me and the city.”

Mayhew, who came to Buena Park from Mountain View, near San Jose, said his father’s ill health was a large part of his decision to resign, which was effective July 2. He also said that he didn’t agree with some of the decisions that were being made about his department by administrators, including City Manager Kevin O’Rourke.

“My idea was not the way Kevin wanted to go with the department,” he said, adding that he disagreed with O’Rourke’s decision to hire outside consultants.

O’Rourke, who is vacationing in the Soviet Union, could not be reached for comment.

Mayor Donald L. Bone said, “The only comment I can give you is that Brian Mayhew resigned because of personal reasons.”

Mayhew is the fifth department head to leave the city during the last nine months. The exodus began last November when Chief of Police Robert Reber retired for reasons of health. He has since been replaced by Richard M. Tefank. City Finance Director Susan Temple quit in December to take a job with the city of Costa Mesa. Director of Redevelopment Jim DeStefano left in March for a similar job with the city of Burbank. Last month, Don Snavely announced his retirement after serving more than seven years as head of the city’s Recreation Department.

Mayhew’s resignation leaves three department posts vacant. The City Council agreed Monday night to appoint Director of Administration Larry Temple as acting director of finance.

City Planner Rick Warsinski is acting as head of redevelopment until the vacancy is filled. And Director of Public Works Don Kemp has assumed responsibility for the Recreation Department. He is also acting as city manager until O’Rourke returns at the end of this month. Kemp said he was forced to come back from a vacation when Mayhew resigned because of a lack of staff.

Bone said the loss of top officials does not impair the city’s ability to function.

“Certainly losing department heads is not an easy thing to face,” he said. “It has caused people to wear a couple of different hats, but it doesn’t affect the system.” He said that other staff members are trained to assume the top job in case the director leaves.

Bone said that city officials expect to hire a director of redevelopment as well as head of recreation by this fall.