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John Danielson resigns as Atherton city manager
CalPERS denies town's request to allow him to continue as manager

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Due to an adverse ruling by a state agency, Atherton's Interim City Manager John Danielson has submitted his resignation, effective Friday (Jan. 27), the town of Atherton announced Wednesday.

But the town plans to pay him $14,000 a month for up to 90 more days as a consultant. He's been paid $15,000 a month as city manager.

The resignation is due to the refusal of the California Public Employees Retirement System to exempt Danielson from a crucial rule. That rule prohibits Danielson, the retired city manager of Elk Grove, from working for a single employer for more than one year if he is to receive his pension.

Whether the proposed consulting contract will pass muster with CalPERS remains to be seen.

The City Council will meet Friday to act on a recommendation from Danielson that it appoint Theresa DellaSanta, the town's deputy city clerk, as interim city manager.

Also on the council's agenda is a recommendation from City Attorney Bill Conners that the town pay Danielson $14,000 a month on a contract basis to provide recruitment services for a new city manager and advice to the interim city manager for a period of 90 days.

"Mr. Danielson will have no direct staff involvement nor will he be directing any Town activities, effective immediately," the town said in a press release dated Jan. 25.

The proposed consulting agreement with Danielson says he will "provide professional consultant services limited generally to conducting a search for a new City Manager."

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Comments

Posted by Double-Dipping-Dan, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 26, 2012 at 10:39 am

According to the Daily Post, Danielson was being paid $180K a year by the City of Atherton. In addition, he has been drawing $117K by CalPERs (and the taxpayers):

CalPERS Danielson Pension Payout via Pensiontsunami.com:

DANIELSON, JOHN H ELK GROVE $9,772.72 $117,272.64

That comes to about $300K a year. What makes anyone worth $300K a year, working for government?

Moreover, seems this guy has a bit of a “clouded” past, as there seem to have been issues with his performance as the Elk Grove City Manager--

Web Link

Like a biblical swarm of locust, former Elk Grove City Manager John Danielson and his swarm of marauding locust have moved back to Northern California after a swarm on Southern California.

According to the San Mateo County publication The Almanac, Danielson and his swarm of locust from PMC and InterWest were hired by the City of Atherton.

All that we can say to Atherton about this is GOOD LUCK!

The Daily Post article states that previous Mayor Jim Dobbie wrote to CalPERS:

“ .. Danielson would lead the town from the brink of financial catastrophe ..”

How can that be? Atherton is a town so full of “one percenters” that they can ban businesses from operating within the town limits. Has Danielson actually saved Atherton?

It’s astounding how tiny little Atherton seems to have so many problems with its self-governance.


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