The Imperial County Board of Supervisors fired Miguel Figueroa, the county’s chief executive officer, earlier this month. But they’re still not saying why.
Supervisors voted unanimously to dismiss Figueroa during a closed session vote at their regular meeting on April 8. They also fired the Board’s clerk, Blanca Acosta.
County spokesperson Eddie Lopez declined to answer questions about either of the firings. In an emailed statement to KPBS earlier this week, Lopez said the county could not comment on “personnel matters or ongoing internal investigations.”
“We can confirm that appropriate steps have been taken to ensure continued operations and delivery of public services,” Lopez wrote.
Last month, the board announced abruptly that they were placing Figueroa and Acosta on paid administrative leave. Board Chairman John Hawk said the two were placed on leave as part of an ongoing investigation, the Imperial Valley Weekly reported.
Lopez declined to answer KPBS’ questions about the investigation.
An attorney for Figueroa, Ernest Ching, demanded more information about the firing during the board of supervisors’ regular meeting Tuesday.
“As I sit here today, we still don’t know the reason Mr. Figueroa has been placed on leave,” Ching told the board during the meeting’s public comment period.
Imperial County’s CEO oversees a $750 million budget and a county staff of more than 2,000 employees. Figueroa was appointed to the role in March 2021. Before that, he served as city manager in Calexico and led a nonprofit called the Calexico New River Committee.
The board’s decision to fire Figueroa comes less than a year after they voted to extend his contract through 2029.
At Tuesday’s Board meeting, Ching said Figueroa would be entitled to six months of pay and health insurance coverage under the terms of his contract if the supervisors had terminated him without cause.
But Ching said Figueroa would also seek to be paid for the remaining four years of his contract. When he was fired, Figueroa was making more than $200,000 per year.
Figueroa, who was sitting in the audience at Tuesday’s meeting, also addressed the board after the supervisors agreed to allow him to speak.
He did not comment on the investigation but defended his record as the county’s top administrator.
“All we did as a team under my leadership were to be good stewards and follow what’s right,” Figueroa said.
