Richmond city attorney resigns; mayor blames RPA
on November 4, 2021
Richmond City Attorney Teresa Stricker has resigned, Mayor Tom Butt announced Thursday in his newsletter.
The announcement comes after months of Butt lambasting the attorney and city manager for their purported role in investigating him over allegations that his architecture firm accepted city work, which would be a conflict of interest for the mayor. Butt has denied the accusation, which hasn’t been made publicly, and claimed that Stricker and City Manager Laura Snideman have used city money to investigate him, which he says would be against the city charter.
In the newsletter, Butt shared the contents of what he said was Stricker’s resignation letter, which was emailed to him and City Council members Thursday. In it, Stricker does not say why she is resigning. It says her last day in office will be Jan. 3.
“To assist with a smooth and orderly transition, the City Attorney’s Office will immediately commence a transition plan,” her note reads. “And I am happy to discuss how I may assist the City further in that process.”
Stricker could not immediately be reached for comment. The city attorney’s office redirected Richmond Confidential to the city manager’s office. The manager’s office declined to comment and redirected questions to the attorney’s office.
Butt speculated in his newsletter that the Richmond Progressive Alliance pushed Stricker into a position that led to her resignation. Butt frequently is at odds with the RPA, whose members now make up the majority on City Council.
“In my opinion, the RPA City Council majority has been consistently directing the city attorney to act in ways that are illegal and/or a breach of the California Bar Rules, professional ethics and the professional standard of care. Perhaps she had no alternative other than to resign.”
Stricker was appointed city attorney in October 2020, according to a post from the law firm she was employed at before leaving to work for Richmond.
She made no mention in her letter of feeling forced to leave. She thanked the city for the opportunity to serve, adding, “I wish Richmond my very best in the future.”
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