Having submitted his resignation in a letter to the Windsor Town Council last Thursday, Town Manager Ken MacNab told SoCoNews that this spring’s sexual assault and misconduct allegations around former Mayor Dominic Foppoli did not contribute to his decision.
“While it was certainly a challenging time for us all, the Foppoli scandal was not a factor in my decision to retire,” MacNab said in an email Monday.
Foppoli, who was elected Windsor’s first at-large mayor as part of its new district elections system in 2021, stepped down in May, after nine women accused him of sexual misconduct following a San Francisco Chronicle investigation.
In Thursday’s letter, MacNab cited personal reasons for his decision to retire, and said, “Windsor is a special place and serving the community has been an honor and a privilege — a true capstone to my 25-year career in public service.”
The town manager serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the town government, responsible for the day-to-day administration of the town according to policies set by the Town Council, according to the Town of Windsor website.
MacNab, who has been Windsor’s town manager since 2019, said his last day in the post would be Dec. 31 of this year. He had worked as Windsor’s community development director and interim town manager prior to assuming the position.
According to MacNab, the town manager is hired directly by the town council, who determines the hiring process. The council is scheduled to discuss the replacement and hiring process in a closed session at their Sept. 15 meeting.
“We may know more about how the council wants to proceed after this meeting — or the council may want to have more discussion,” MacNab said “It is an important decision, and the council should be allowed the time needed to make the best decision they can for the town.”
MacNab said that the council does not currently have any replacements in mind.
“As far as I know, the town council has not identified any candidates that they are interested in talking to.”
Dominic Foppoli recently filed to run for mayor again in 2022, a move he said was purely to preserve campaign funds he may otherwise have to forfeit. No criminal charges have as yet been filed against Foppoli, and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office told SoCoNews last Wednesday that the case is “still pending an investigation.”
