City Manager Mike Futrell voluntarily resigned from his position on Tuesday after the City Council's closed session meeting agenda listed a possible censure for him – and after his wife, entrepreneur Susan Freeman, filed a defamation claim against the city last week amid conflict between her and city officials.
"After careful consideration, last night I voluntarily stepped down as city manager of Riverside as part of a mutually agreed upon leadership transition," Futrell said in a Facebook post Wednesday morning. "Serving this community has been one of the great honors of my professional life…I leave with gratitude for the privilege of serving and with great confidence in the city's future."
The city held a press conference Wednesday morning, where Mayor Pro-Tem Steven Robillard announced that Assistant City Manager Edward Enriquez would serve as acting city manager for the time being. It's currently unknown if the city will enlist the help of an executive hiring firm in its search for a new city manager.
"I want to thank Mike for his service to the city of Riverside and for his contributions during his tenure. We appreciate his dedication to the community and wish him and his family the very best," Robillard said at the press conference. "Edward is a respected and experienced public servant who knows our organization well, and we have full confidence in his ability to provide steady leadership while the council begins the search process for Riverside's next city manager."
The council unanimously voted to accept Futrell’s resignation in Tuesday's closed session and approved an agreement that he would be placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately until July 5, according to a city press release. The city also agreed to pay Futrell's severance in a lump sum equal to nine months of regular salary and 401(a) contributions and one month of health benefits.
The agreement provides that there are no pending claims or actions between the city and city manager, with both parties releasing each other from any claims during Futrell's employment.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Freeman confirmed that she signed a settlement agreement with the city with a mutual release and waiver of all claims.
"In doing so, I am choosing to move forward with peace, dignity, and gratitude for the many people who showed kindness and support during an extraordinarily difficult time," Freeman's statement said.
Freeman had filed a government claim against the city on June 10, alleging defamation, reputational harm and First Amendment retaliation. The claim was filed through her attorney, Carol Sobel of the Law Office of Carol Sobel in Santa Monica.
The claim stems from a Dec. 11 letter the city sent her in response to her Dec. 4 letter to the City Council asserting her First Amendment rights. The city's letter alleged she contacted city employees through "unwanted and harassing calls, texts, emails, comments, social media posts and other communications to city employees."
The letter also alleged some city staff felt pressure to participate in Freeman's paid services, and alleged that Freeman insinuated she is "part of the city's decision-making team" despite not being a city employee.
Freeman said in an April 30 Facebook post that she encouraged Futrell to explore a position as city manager in Pasadena after the conflict between her and city officials. On April 15, Futrell announced he would take the Pasadena position — a decision he ultimately reversed 10 days later. At a May 5 council meeting, Futrell addressed his decision and his wife's dispute.
"Questions have been raised about my application to the city of Pasadena and about a letter that was sent to my home and later entered into public discussion," Futrell said. "Judgment should be reserved until the full factual record is available. Some of the allegations involve my wife and my family — they deserve the same basic fairness, the opportunity for facts, context and records to be fully reviewed before conclusions are drawn."
In a Substack post published the same day as the filing, Freeman said the dispute had reduced her identity to a single role. "I was reduced to one role: the city manager's wife," she wrote. "That, to me, is not just wrong."
Freeman denied the letter's claims, calling them "absolutely false, unsupported and defamatory."
Futrell became city manager in January 2023. He previously served as city manager of South San Francisco, Chief Administrative Officer of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a senior U.S. Senate staffer, and is a retired U.S. Navy captain with 26 years of service.
