Costa Mesa City Council’s firing of city manager reveals deep divisions on the dais

The termination of Costa Mesa City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, announced at the end of during a council meeting Tuesday evening, is shrouded in mystery but seems to point to deep divisions on the dais.

City Atty. Kimberly Hall Barlow announced the news in a report out of that day’s closed session. An agenda for that meeting included an employee evaluation of Farrell Harrison, who has helmed the city since 2019.

“By motion of Councilmember [Loren] Gameros, and seconded by Councilmember [Mike] Buley, the City Council voted to terminate the employment agreement of the city manager,” Barlow said of the decision, also supported by Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez and Councilman Jeff Pettis.

Lori Ann Farrell Harrison was sworn in as the city’s top appointed official in 2019.

(City of Costa Mesa)

Council members Arlis Reynolds and Andrea Marr opposed Gameros’ motion, while Mayor John Stephens abstained, the city attorney reported.

Barlow later clarified the termination was “without cause,” meaning the city manager will be entitled to severance pay, according to the terms of her employment contract.

Provided by the city on Wednesday, that contract stipulates that if the city terminates Farrell Harrison without cause, she is entitled to six months’ base salary and the payout of any unused, accrued vacation leave, payable as one lump sum.

Farrell Harrison’s current base salary, according to city records, stands at $330,216, meaning the severance would amount to at least around $165,108, in addition to the value of any unused vacation days.

While no further discussion on the city manager’s performance or departure was provided in Barlow’s report, the two panelists who rejected the city manager’s ouster shared their disappointment in comments at Tuesday’s meeting.

Reynolds spoke through tears as she expressed her astonishment at the council’s decision.

“We’ve sat through some council meetings, where I’ve gone home with a lot of questions [about] the decision of members on this council. But certainly, tonight, this is the most questionable decision I’ve observed, and it gives me a lot of concern,” she said.

Reynolds went on to praise Farrell Harrison’s efforts to welcome and engage with residents who’ve been historically disenfranchised from the civic process and her success in recruiting and hiring staff members.

“The team that she has built, the culture she’s supported and fostered, the staff that she’s recruited to the city and her personal interactions have made residents of Costa Mesa feel welcome in Costa Mesa,” Reynolds said.

“While I’m certainly [having] a crisis of confidence in this city council, I have full confidence in the staff here, full faith in the staff that we have, and I thank you all for your service.”

A fellow dissenter of the city manager’s termination, Marr called Farrell Harrison’s termination “incredibly frustrating and deeply disappointing.”

She reminded residents that members of a city council govern part time, often on top of working full-time jobs, and must rely on the professionalism and competence of staff to do the work of running a city — a task she said Farrell Harrison handled with aplomb.

Like Reynolds, Marr recognized gains made with the city’s monolingual Spanish-speaking residents and recalled how the city was able to financially navigate the COVID pandemic with a balanced budget and thrived, even in difficult times.

The councilwoman issued a prophetic warning to residents, seeming to reference earlier periods of turmoil and upheaval in Costa Mesa’s political past.

“We have seen this movie before, and it did not end well,” Marr said. “I am extremely concerned that instead of getting some of our priorities across the finish line, we are now going to spend the next 18 months mired in self-imposed chaos.”

The council members who voted in favor of terminating the contract remained largely silent on the dais Tuesday. Among the four yes votes, only Chavez offered words in support of Farrell Harrison’s accomplishments.

“Thanks to her work, we have a really healthy budget surplus of $60 million, we’ve seen more community outreach to marginalized communities and staff morale has been at a real high. For that, I’ll say thank you, Lori Ann, for your service,” he said.

Gameros, who made the motion, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday, and Stephens indicated in a message that while he was grateful for the city manager’s service and wished her the best, he would not be commenting on his abstention.

Buley, who seconded Gameros’ motion, allowing the termination to be brought to a vote, acknowledged by phone the following day it was “a terrible situation” to be in.

“I did feel it was in the best interest of the city to part ways under the no-fault provision of the city manager’s contract,” he said, declining to weigh in on the council’s options at this point. “I thought that was appropriate.”

Barlow relayed Wednesday that the City Council would have to agendize a discussion on seeking Farrell Harrison’s replacement, including the possible selection of an individual to serve as acting city manager in the interim.

“They will decide how we proceed from there,” the city attorney added.