YORBA LINDA
Even as voters were choosing a candidate to break the Yorba Linda City Council’s long-standing deadlock, members for the third time reached a tie vote on whether to fire City Manager Arthur C. Simonian.
The longtime city manager, now on paid administrative leave, is in the middle of a legal battle with the city, which is suing him to recover as much as $300,000 in bonuses he allegedly paid himself without proper authorization. Simonian has denied any wrongdoing and is suing to get his job back.
Mayor John M. Gullixson brought the matter for a council vote minutes before 8 p.m., when the polls closed. Voters chose Ken Ryan, a city planning commissioner, to join the board, breaking the deadlock.
According to Simonian’s contract, he cannot be fired within 120 days after an election, and he must receive a 90-day notice before his termination takes effect.
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