SANTA CLARA — Former city manager Deanna Santana, the once second-highest paid city manager in the state, has filed a claim against the city, accusing officials of not paying out her entire six-figure severance package and “clawing back” some of her owed benefits.
Santana was hired in 2017 and then fired in February 2022 by the Santa Clara City Council, with a majority of councilmembers expressing a “lack of confidence” in her ability to do her job. As part of her contract, Santana opted to receive her severance package — a year’s salary and benefits — over the span of 12 months instead of in one lump sum.
In 2020, the ex-city manager made $765,152 in total compensation, making her the second-highest paid in the role in the state only behind the Fontana city manager.
But according to a claim appended to Tuesday’s council meeting agenda, Santana alleges the city breached its agreement with her by not paying out all of her compensation and benefits through March 31, 2023.
Therese Cannata, an attorney at San Francisco-based law firm Cannata, O’Toole and Olson who is representing the former city manager, declined to say how much the city still owes Santana. The claim, however, notes the dollar amount is more than $25,000.
The claim states Santana accrued vacation and sick days, holidays and other benefits between April 1, 2022 and March 18, 2023 while she was still on the city’s payroll. Her severance agreement also entitles her to receive the cost of living adjustment awarded to all other Unit 9 management employees, the claim said.
On April 4, 2023, the city, through an outside attorney, notified Santana that “the earned wages and benefits, including accrued leaves, would not be paid.”
The former city manager and her attorney allege that unnamed members of the council “continue to press for retaliatory action” against her by “directing city employees and or agents of the city to delay and ultimately fail to perform the city’s lawful obligations to perform its contractual obligations owed to Ms. Santana and to unlawfully withhold earned wages and benefits.”
As a result, the claim said Santana has “suffered monetary damages and emotional distress as a result of the foregoing wrongful conduct by the city.”
City spokesperson Michelle Templeton declined to comment.
The former city attorney’s salary was a point of contention during her rocky tenure, which included several disputes with the San Francisco 49ers over the management of Levi’s Stadium.
Santana was the second top city official fired in recent years. The council majority, consisting of Vice Mayor Kevin Park and Councilmembers Raj Chahal, Karen Hardy, Anthony Becker and Suds Jain, voted to fire ex-city attorney Brian Doyle without cause effective Sept. 2, 2021.
Earlier this year, Doyle filed a lawsuit in Santa Clara County Superior Court, alleging unlawful termination and retaliation for whistleblowing.
Santa Clara has since replaced both individuals, appointing Glen Googins as city attorney and Jovan Grogan city manager.
Santana’s claim — a step she must take before filing a lawsuit — will be discussed in closed session on Tuesday.