Farmersville boots city manager, Visalia native; starts search for leader

Farmersville will be looking for a new leader soon.

Farmersville City Council decided April 22 to part ways with City Manager Jennifer Gomez, longtime City Councilman Paul Boyer.

Gomez has been city manager since 2018. A closed door performance evaluation was on the agenda for that night's meeting. No specific reason was given for the ousting, which takes effect immediately.

"Monday night the council voted to not renew the contract with Jennifer Gomez. The very short term interim city manager is Steve Huntley our Director of Finance and Administration," Boyer said in an email. "We are currently seeking a longer term interim. And thereafter will start the process to seek a new city manager. Our city attorney is helping us through the process."

Gomez is a Visalia native who returned to the area to live and work after college.

Gomez oversaw the expansion of the cannabis business in Farmersville that led for a while to higher sales tax revenue.Recently revenue has been down based on the lower cost of pot. Gomez was reportedly interested in expanding the number of cannabis stores in town as a way to boost sales tax revenue.

For the upcoming fiscal year, Farmersville is expecting a decline in its General Fund revenue of about 3% to $6.39 million from $6.57 million the year before.

This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Farmersville boots city manager, Visalia native