National City council approves interim appointment of Scott Huth amid public allegations and calls for investigations

The National City City Council voted unanimously on a resolution to appoint retired annuitant Scott Huth as interim city manager.

The hire, presented by Lydia Flores Hernandez, director of human resources, follows public comment calling for investigations into alleged undue influence by the mayor’s assistant and for inquiry into a leak of a confidential harassment complaint. The HR director said Huth meets CalPERS requirements for a retired annuitant and summarized pay and work‑hour limits for the appointment.

Lydia Flores Hernandez told the council that “as a CalPERS retiree, he has already been retired more than 6 months, 180 days,” and said the city would pay Huth $130.88 per hour — the same rate as the prior city manager — with a maximum of 960 hours through June 30 and no associated benefits, vacation, sick leave or retirement payments. She said the hours would reset on July 1.

During the public comment period multiple residents urged the council to order investigations. Louisa McCarthy said there was “undue influence” involving the mayor and his assistant and alleged inappropriate conduct by the assistant toward staff. Edward Nieto and other residents urged the council to “get on with focusing on what the immediate critical needs of the city” and supported hiring Huth as a steady administrator.

Several speakers pressed the council about a project at Sweetwater Road and Orange Street. A neighbor who lives near the site said the National City planning commission had previously found the proposed permit would “constitute a nuisance or be injurious or detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare.” Commenters asked the interim manager to review whether city staff were improperly influenced in their handling of that project.

Speakers also raised concerns about confidentiality and a possible leak from closed session. Zoom speaker Liliana Armenta warned “Loose lips sink ships,” and asked the council to investigate how a confidential harassment complaint became public, citing Government Code 54963 and referring to Government Code 1098 as a potential legal exposure raised during remarks. Another commenter said the disclosure could violate closed‑session confidentiality and harm the complaint’s alleged victim.

Council members debated process and timing. One council member asked how many hours an interim CalPERS retiree may work, and Flores Hernandez said there is no fixed weekly standard under CalPERS but that Huth could work up to 40 hours per week and that the 960‑hour limit would typically cover roughly half a year at that pace. Council Member Rodriguez objected to the scheduling and how the decision was reached, asking that future important appointments allow more public notice and fuller process.

A motion “to approve the resolution” to appoint Huth was made and seconded on the record. The meeting record shows the motion was approved unanimously. The council did not read a resolution number into the record; staff identified the hire as the CalPERS‑required public action to appoint a retired annuitant interim city manager at the stated pay and hour limits.

The council chair closed the meeting after thanking interim staff and reminding the public of the next regular meeting in two weeks.