City Manager Takes Leave of Absence

Seal Beach City Manager Keith Till began an indefinite leave of absence Tuesday after the City Council granted his request for one at a closed session late Monday.

Mayor Patty Campbell and other city officials would not comment on details of the meeting or the reasons for Till’s request. Till could not be reached for comment.

A written staff announcement Tuesday stated that Assistant City Manager Dan Dorsey will take over during Till’s absence and will have “complete and total authority for the day-to-day operations of the city.” All questions are to be directed to Dorsey, the statement read.

Till, 47, was hired in 1995. He was previously city manager of San Marino.

Councilman Paul Yost described Till on Tuesday as “the best city manager the city has ever had. When he took office [the city] was bankrupt. Now we have $800,000 in reserve.

“We have a concrete plan in dealing with infrastructure, a plan to decrease the utility tax, and he’s made significant strides toward improving water quality.” Till’s tenure in Seal Beach was marked by controversy, however, when he fired City Treasurer Elizabeth Stoddard in September, just days after she received a national award for excellence in financial reporting. Stoddard filed a claim against the city alleging wrongful termination and emotional distress.

Till said the termination was the result of “philosophical differences.” The case was settled out of court for $129,000 in March.

In a case still pending, the city’s senior accountant, Stephanie Stinson, filed a breach-of-contract claim against the city and Till one month after Stoddard’s claim. Stinson’s attorney has stated that her client took action because the city wanted to reduce some of her benefits.

Speaking on behalf of city officials, City Atty. Quinn Barrow has said in the past that no one is aware of wrongdoing in the Stinson case.