The City Manager of one of Ventura County’s largest cities has been fired.
The Thousand Oaks City Council unanimously voted Thursday to terminate the contract of Scott Mitnick, who’s held the city’s top non-elected post since 2005. The action came after a more than half day long closed door special meeting of the City Council yesterday.
Mayor Joel Price issued a statement saying the city council is heading in what he called a “different direction.” The council didn’t provide any specifics as to what led to the firing, citing the fact that it’s a personnel matter.
Mitnick came under fire in May for using his city e-mail to solicit donations for Westlake High School’s baseball team. His sons play for the team. Mitnick apologized for the action, and the City Council decided not to take any disciplinary action at the time. He was also involved in a dispute with the baseball team’s boosters over a delay in getting a $20,000 grant which had been approved by the City Council for field improvements.
He is a member of KCLU's Advisory Board, which provides financial guidance for the non-profit station, and serves as a link to the community.
The City Council hasn’t said how it will deal with finding a successor, or whether it will appoint and interim City Manager.
