At an October 9 special closed session meeting where the Santa Ana City Council voted 6-1 to accept City Manager Kristine Ridge’s surprise resignation, they also approved a severance and release package – although the specifics of the package were not disclosed at the time.
The OC Independent has obtained the severance package via a public records request. The agreement provides Ridge with a payout of $651,939 – which includes $162,667 “attributed to alleged personal/physical injuries and emotional distress damages, including past and future medical costs resulting therefrom.”
The other portion of the payout is $489,272, representing 18 months of salary – the maximum allowed by state law – and her accrued compensation such as vacation, and sick pay.
The agreement does not specify the nature of the alleged “personal/physical injuries and emotional distress” for which the city is compensating Ridge.
In return, Ridge agreed to release the city from a host of potential claims covering a range of of possible grievances.
Ridge’s resignation came two weeks after Police Chief David Valentin announced his retirement.
Ridge has not disclosed immediate plans but did post on her Linkedin profile that she is done with full-time city work and is open to projects.
According to sources, the city’s director of human resources, Jason Motsick, also went on leave this week. Motsick had worked with Ridge when both were at the City of Anaheim.
Ridge’s tenure took her through a turbulent period and she served under changing council majorities and three mayors. She was hired during the latter part of Mayor Miguel Pulido’s final term, continued under the progressive majority that took power in the November 2020 elections, and now is retiring during the first year of Mayor Valerie Amezcua’s term.
Ridge was city manager of Laguna Niguel for more than a year, and prior to that enjoyed a long career in Anaheim, where she rose to the position of Assistant City Manager.
Ridge’s departure presents the city with a “clean slate” opportunity to fill the top two slots in city government – city manager and police chief – after several years of conflict between city leadership and the Santa Ana Police Officers Association. Gerry Serrano, the SAPOA president who was locked in a heated political struggle with Ridge and Valentin, was forcibly retired recently in August on favorable terms, and the SAPOA leadership reins have been taken up by John Kachirisky.
Still on the horizon is the November 14 recall election of left-wing Councilmember Jessie Lopez – the lone vote against accepting Ridge’s resignation. If Lopez is recalled, the council will have the opportunity to appoint a replacement. If they cannot agree on one, the vacancy would be filled by a special election.
