Claim Filed Against City Over Firing

The city’s former finance director has filed a claim against the city, saying he was fired last fall because he refused to lie about the profitability of River Ridge golf course.

Phillip Molina was fired Oct. 20 after a two-year stint as the director of finance and administrative services. His claim, which seeks $700,000 in damages, lists mental and emotional distress and a loss of earnings. Molina, who does not want his job back, was paid $106,536 annually.

His attorney, Marisol Ocampo, expects to file a lawsuit before Friday, but must wait until Oxnard rejects the claim. So far, the city has made no decision on the matter.

According to documents filed on Jan. 10, two council members and the city manager asked Molina to make the River Ridge golf course appear financially healthy on paper by not including payments on a $16-million construction loan.

River Ridge generates revenue of about $400,000 a year, but costs $700,000 to operate. Repaying the loan, taken out in 1986, costs roughly $1.2 million each year, according to the finance department.

Molina alleges that Councilman Tom Holden and City Manager Ed Sotelo forced him into silence with a warning to keep quiet at an upcoming council meeting.

Holden denied Molina’s allegation and said he never asked Molina to lie. He blames the allegations on the problems the councilman had with the city’s annual budget, deviations that Holden claims fluctuated as much as $17 million.

“It’s my job to question numbers,” Holden said, adding that he could not explain why, after reportedly asking Molina for more accurate figures, the experienced city finance director didn’t respond.

Molina declined to further comment on the case, but promised to elaborate on his claim once it is filed in federal court.

Also in the claim, Molina said his figures on River Ridge came under fire by city officials when he released the bleak report to the press. Molina maintains that Sotelo reprimanded him for exposing the information.

Mayor Pro Tem John Zaragoza said he liked Molina and never questioned his numbers or job performance. Though Zaragoza would not discuss the claim, he described Molina as honest, hard-working and diligent.