Cupertino has had six city managers in less than a decade, and officials just placed its top executive on leave.
The Cupertino City Council voted 3-2 in closed session to put City Manager Pamela Wu on paid leave Friday so it can conduct a “fair internal review process to move forward in a constructive and focused manner,” according to a news release. Councilmembers J.R. Fruen and Sheila Mohan voted no. The city did not give a reason for the decision sending waves through the politically divided community.
The council appointed former Deputy City Manager Tina Kapoor to acting city manager until the review is completed. Kapoor doesn’t “expect residents to notice any impacts to city services” during the transition.
Wu said she’s shocked and confused, adding she wasn’t given any reason for the decision.
“At the end of the day, even though I’m on leave, I’m still here to support the city, the organization, staff and the community,” she told San José Spotlight. “I wish that whatever happens is the best for the community and council and most importantly, the staff team.”
Councilmembers began reviewing Wu’s performance last month after concerns first arose in January, officials said. Wu was appointed in 2022 as the third permanent city manager to take the role since 2018, with three temporary managers in between, according to Transparent California. Wu previously worked as San Bruno’s community and economic development director. Prior to that, she was a senior planner in Gilroy and a former senior planner for Santa Clara County, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Mayor Liang Chao has seen the high turnover since getting elected in 2018. She did not address why Wu was placed on leave, but said she wanted to publish the release to improve transparency about the decision.
“My focus remains on making sure we have the leadership capacity needed to deliver quality services, follow council direction and communicate effectively both internally and with the public,” Chao told San José Spotlight.
The community has mixed feelings about the move.
Cupertino resident Nick Egan, who grew up in the city, said it raises concerns about instability in executive city management caused by changing political tides. The council majority shifted to become less development-friendly after last year’s election, with Chao, Vice Mayor Kitty Moore and Councilmember R “Ray” Wang taking three of the five seats. Chao has clashed with Wu since becoming mayor over issues such as the mayor’s state of the city event, according to city emails.
Egan said city employees such as Wu are there to keep the council in line, which it may not like.
“Pamela is just the most recent example of city staff getting kind of ignored or harassed for whatever reason,” he told San José Spotlight.
Other residents say Wu needed to be placed on leave.
Sashi Begur, who’s lived in Cupertino since 1996 and supports the newly-elected officials, said she had concerns about Wu’s leadership, including her fiscal responsibility and professionalism toward councilmembers. She said if Wu doesn’t return, she wants the next city manager to be more invested in Cupertino’s residents.
“I would like to see somebody who’s genuinely fair, who can hold their own,” Begur, who has watched Wu interact with officials on the dais, told San José Spotlight. “You’re hired by the council, but you should be able to look at something objectively and say, ‘This makes sense. This doesn’t make sense.’”
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X.
