Fresno’s city attorney is leaving for new job in Southern California. Here’s what we know
Fresno City Attorney Douglas Sloan, who has led the legal department at City Hall for the past nine years, will be leaving his position to take a new job in Southern California in June.
Sloan, 61, notified Fresno City Council members of his decision Thursday night, and it was announced Friday by City Council president Nelson Esparza. Unlike many of the department heads in the city’s organizational structure, the city attorney reports to the city council rather than to the mayor’s office.
Sloan, who was admitted to the California State Bar in 1998, has worked for the city of Fresno for 16 years. Esparza said the City Council plans to recognize his service by declaring Douglas Sloan Day during the last council meeting of May.
“City Attorney Sloan has served this City through three mayoral administrations and 14 different councilmembers,” Esparza said in his announcement. “We are grateful for his work and wish him and his family much success in new role.”
Sloan’s pay in 2020 was $263,650, making him the second-highest paid person on the city’s payroll that year. Benefits boosted his total compensation in 2020 to almost $293,000.
Councilmember Mike Karbassi, who represents District 2 covering northwest Fresno, said he was “really bummed” to learn of Sloan’s decision.
“Doug has a lot of integrity, and that’s what we really need in a city attorney,” Karbassi told The Bee on Friday.
In recent years, one of the major initiatives that has fallen under Sloan’s responsibility has been enforcement Fresno’s Rental Housing Improvement Act, aimed at substandard rental properties across the city.
Under that 2018 act and other anti-slum measures, the city attorney’s office has been tasked with developing and maintaining a list of rental units across the city for periodic inspections.
The laws allow the city to fine landlords whose units fail to meet housing codes, and in some instances allow the city to go to court to take control of properties where landlord non-compliance continues.
Sloan “has taken on so much more responsibility with code enforcement, and it’s gone very well,” Karbassi said.
Tyler Maxwell, who represents Council District 4 covering east-central Fresno, described Sloan as “a driving force behind the city of Fresno for over a decade now.”
“Many major quality of life improvements for Fresnans can be traced directly back to him,” Maxwell added.
District 3 Council Member Miguel Arias, whose district encompasses southwest Fresno, said Sloan has not only dealt collaboratively with different mayors and city managers, but also answered to and worked with 14 council members over nine years as city attorney. “That’s a lot of bosses, and he’s always been able to balance the needs of the city, a changing team of bosses, and interpret the intent of the city charter,” Arias said.
“It will be a challenge to find someone that understands our city’s charter and the strong mayor/city council form of government and understand the local context in which we operate,” Arias added. “We are the largest city in the Valley, but we sometimes act like it’s a small town.”
Esparza said the council expects to appoint an interim city attorney in May. The council’s announcement did not disclose where Sloan will be working next except to say that it will be in southern California.
Karbassi said he is concerned about the effect Sloan’s departure may have on morale at City Hall and in the city attorney’s office. He added that one person he’s already spoken to about the position is Andrew Janz, now a deputy district attorney for Fresno County. “I know him and I like him, and he’s someone I could support for that position,” Karbassi said.
Janz, however, told The Fresno Bee that he intends to stay in his position as a criminal prosecutor for the county.
“I appreciate my friend Councilmember Karbassi’s kind words. However, I have no plans to leave the District Attorney’s Office,” Janz said. “I remain fully committed to seeking justice for victims of violent crimes as a prosecutor.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 1:02 PM.
