Sunnyside council places city manager on 30-day paid administrative leave; fire chief named acting manager

Sunnyside — The Sunnyside City Council voted in open session Tuesday night to place City Manager Mike Gonzalez on 30 days of paid administrative leave effective immediately and instructed him to return all city property. The motion, made from the dais by the mayor and seconded, passed by roll call.

Council members said the action followed an executive-session review permitted under state law; the mayor said the council would continue an investigative process and would meet again to consider an interim appointment. The council also appointed Fire Chief Holbrook as acting city manager for two days and scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday at 6 p.m. to consider a longer interim arrangement while the investigation continues.

The leave order directed Gonzalez to turn in city property “including phone, computer, documents” that evening and to return the city vehicle and any other city property by the end of the next work day, the mayor said on the record.

Why it matters: placing a sitting city manager on administrative leave is a rare and formal personnel action that…