Well, not exactly dead, but surely gone.

Former City Attorney Teresa Stricker penned the following email to City Council members yesterday:

From: Teresa Stricker <teresa_stricker@ci.richmond.ca.us>
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2021 6:30 PM
To: Teresa Stricker <teresa_stricker@ci.richmond.ca.us>
Cc: Shasa Curl <Shasa_Curl@ci.richmond.ca.us>; Heather McLaughlin <Heather_McLaughlin@ci.richmond.ca.us>; tstricker.legal@gmail.com
Subject: Thank you and farewell

Dear Mayor and Councilmembers (blind-copied),

As I end my last day as City Attorney, I wanted to express once again my appreciation for the opportunity to serve the City of Richmond for the last 13 months.  I wish Richmond and each of you my very best in the future. 

In case you need to contact me, I’ve provided an email address above. 

Please enjoy a safe and joyous holiday.

Teresa

Teresa L. Stricker
City Attorney
City of Richmond
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, California 94804-1630
(510) 620-6509

I tried to get rid of Stricker back in July of 2021, but I got no support from the City Council. Eventually and ironically, however, they did the job for me and put her in a position where she had no alternative but to resign.

Why was Stricker such a failure as a city attorney? Let me count the ways – here are just a few.

• Stricker condoned and defended the illegal investigation of me (as well as former City Manager Steve Falk and former City Attorney Bruce Goodmiller) that cost the City of Richmond as much as $100,000. Nobody is willing to say how much exactly. When I last asked, Interim Deputy City Manager Anil Comelo answered, “Mayor, because this is an on-going case for which you have a conflict, you are only entitled to information that is publicly available and this information is not currently publicly available.” Apparently, Stricker and Comelo are not aware of the fact that amounts spent on legal costs are not protected by attorney-client privilege and should be publicly disclosed (https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2013/nov/15/attorney-fees-not-exempt-from-disclosure-under-california-public-records-act/).
• When I disclosed the report that exonerated all of us who were investigated, Stricker hired an expensive southern California law firm to sue me, and the City is continuing to spend tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money in an obsessed effort to pursue that litigation.
• Caving in to a City Council majority that wants to dismantle the fully entitled Campus Bay and Point Molate developments, Stricker violated the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing by concealing from the developers efforts thwart the projects while leading them to believe she was doing otherwise. In an ironic twist of fate that ultimately led to her resignation, she finally resisted the City Council’s most egregious demand to join with and endorse the opponents’ lawsuit challenging the Point Molate decision. When I disclosed her decision, she hired the same expensive southern California law firm to sue me, and the City is continuing to spend tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money to in an obsessed effort to pursue that litigation.
• Stricker never respected the Richmond Charter’s separation of powers. As mayor, I have few powers, one of which is chairing meetings, but Teresa had no problem ignoring that and assuming powers beyond those granted by the Charter. On a recent occasion, she complained when I reported out closed session actions consistent with the Brown Act. Ultimately, she conspired with the City Council to bar me from reporting out any closed session actions in the future.
• Stricker hired Heather McLaughlin, who is now interim chief assistant city attorney, recently acting as city attorney. There could not have been a worse choice, with Ms. McLaughlin carrying out, and even exacerbating and doubling down on the worst decisions of Stricker.
• This is minor, but when I had my first introductory meeting with Stricker, and she asked what I wanted to see in her new reign, I had only one request. I asked that the City Attorney’s Office start using timesheets so there would be a record of what they were spending time on and how much it was costing, pointing out that virtually all private law firms and many city attorney’s offices do this. She refused.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; in my opinion, Teresa Stricker was a horrible city attorney, and we are fortunate she has departed.

We are making good progress in cleaning out the rot in Richmond’s upper management. I would say two down and maybe a couple more to go.