Mission city manager expected severance for departure

Progress times
By Matt Wilson 
January 17, 2024

Mission City Manager Randy Perez expected to receive some sort of severance agreement from the city, had he actually gone through with leaving his position last month.

It’s not clear what that severance agreement would have entailed. 

Perez turned in a letter announcing his retirement on December 22 in the wake of the city’s $2.7 million Mission Economic Development Corporation debt becoming public. 

He did, however, commit to making corrective action on the 28th, after he decided to rescind his letter and stick around.

Perez doesn’t reference any turmoil caused by the MEDC funding situation in his letter, and he’s declined to say publicly whether it and his near-exit were explicitly related.

 “I appreciate the opportunities for personal and professional growth that I have experienced during my tenure. The relationships I have built with colleagues and the invaluable experiences I have gained will always hold a special place in my heart,” he wrote in the letter.

Had he gone through with it, Perez’s exit would have been effective at the end of January, “conditioned upon the approval of the severance terms, as discussed and agreed to,” the letter says.

The city, however, says council never actually approved a severance agreement with Perez.

They were slated to discuss it on the 28th, when Perez changed his mind after a lengthy discussion with council behind closed doors in executive session.

Perez’s contract does provide for a severance agreement, in a specific instance.

In the event of a unilateral severance — essentially the city council firing him without good cause — Perez would receive half of his current salary plus the value of any accrued leave.

Perez currently makes $250,000 a year.

Perez insists he was not, however, facing unilateral severance.

Asked about whether the near-exit was a unilateral severance or a retirement, Perez said through a spokesperson that it was the latter.

The city didn’t share any details on whatever severance agreement Perez referenced in his letter, aside from saying that council hadn’t approved any agreement.