Published: Wednesday, September 4, 2002 Council calls emergency meeting   By Jason Gewirtz, Staff writer LONG BEACH - The City Council voted 6-3 Tuesday to meet in an emergency closed-door session today to evaluate City Manager Henry Taboada's performance. Several council members said they have issues with the leadership of Taboada, the city's highest- ranking nonelected official. The vote came hours after four council members met with Taboada, who was asked to retire, according to informed sources at City Hall. "Don't even think I'm going to comment,' Taboada said, when approached after Tuesday's council vote. The city manager, who is responsible for managing most city departments, is appointed by the council and can be terminated by a majority vote of council members. Taboada is scheduled for a regular performance review in October. But in recent weeks, he has come under fire, particularly over the city's projected $46 million budget deficit in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Councilman Dan Baker, who made the motion for today's 6 p.m. meeting, said there was an urgency behind the abrupt evaluation but did not elaborate. Baker, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor earlier this year, criticized Taboada during his campaign, saying the city manager had too much power and was not held accountable for decisions. He said Tuesday that he feels the city needs a change in leadership. "It's my opinion the issue needs to be resolved now,' Baker said. "I believe there are others on the council who share that feeling.' But council members Frank Colonna, Dennis Carroll and Tonia Reyes Uranga said they did not see the same urgency. They voted against the motion. Carroll said the process would be disruptive. The council is set to adopt the proposed budget by Oct. 1. "I don't see anything but distraction and diversion from this exercise,' he said of today's meeting. As for Taboada's performance, Carroll said he appreciated that the city manager provided the council with a balanced budget. The $46 million shortfall will be filled by unanticipated revenue from the previous fiscal year. Colonna declined comment on Taboada's performance but said the council should proceed with its regularly scheduled review in October. "The sense of urgency is beyond my understanding,' he said. Uranga said her vote against today's meeting was more a question of process. The request for a meeting was short-sighted, she said, because Taboada's opponents do not have a plan in place if they decide to remove him from office. "I think what precipitated a lot of this is the concern over the budget process,' she said. "Is that the city manager's fault or the City Council's fault?' But others who voted for today's session said they have concerns with Taboada's performance. Councilman Val Lerch, elected to North Long Beach's 9th District in April, said Taboada has not executed enough leadership during the budget process. Lerch suggested Taboada take a pay reduction because of the city's projected fiscal climate. Taboada is the highest-paid city official, with a salary of $199,578. "A 10 percent (reduction) for Henry is what some people make in an entire year in my district,' Lerch said. Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Baker and council members Bonnie Lowenthal, Jackie Kell and Laura Richardson-Batts met privately with Taboada, who was asked to retire. Baker would not comment on what was said at the meeting, but he said his campaign criticisms still stood. "My personal position on the issue is the city needs a change of leadership,' he said. Lowenthal and Richardson-Batts declined comment on the private meeting. Kell said it was time for Taboada to be evaluated, but declined comment on Taboada's performance. "All I'm doing right now is listening,' she said. Taboada was appointed by the City Council in 1999 to replace former city manager James Hankla, who retired and went on to lead the completion of the Alameda transportation corriDuring Taboada's tenure, critics have questioned his handling of several controversies and crises, including a proposed 911 center in Stearns Park, which was later relocated after community opposition. Critics also questioned his handling of the natural gas crisis of 2000-2001, during which city gas rates temporarily rose 600 percent. In recent weeks, Taboada has been criticized for using Colonna, a real estate broker, to represent him in the purchase of a new house in Naples. Taboada joined the city's staff in 1975 and has held a variety of positions, including administrative assistant to the city manager for affirmative action, personnel services officer, administrative officer for public works, manager of commercial services, deputy city manager and assistant city manager. According to his contract, if Taboada is fired, the city owes him a severance equal to six months of his salary, or roughly $100,000.