Seal Beach Treasurer Files Claim to Get Job Back

Seal Beach’s treasurer, fired just days after receiving a national award for excellence in financial reporting, said Tuesday she may sue the city if she is not reinstated or fairly compensated.

Elizabeth Stoddard, who was dismissed Sept. 10 by City Manager Keith Till, filed a claim against the city three days later alleging wrongful termination and emotional distress.

“I was offered a severance package, but I won’t accept it,” Stoddard said Tuesday. “If I accept, it’s tantamount to admitting I’ve done something wrong, and I haven’t.”

Stoddard, who did not have a contract, states in her claim against the city that she was fired after a dispute involving herself, Till and city payroll officer Stephanie Stinson over the tax status of interest payments on a $75,000 home loan from the city to Till.

Till has declined to comment on the situation except to say that Stoddard was fired over “philosophical differences.”

Her position has been filled by her former assistant, Pamela Arends-King.

Her dismissal has raised eyebrows among some officials. She and her staff were awarded the 1999 Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in financial reporting by the Government Financial Officers Assn.

“I want someone to explain to us what happened,” City Council member Shawn Boyd said. “Till and maybe . . . auditors.”

Council member Patty Campbell called the firing “awful and despicable” but conceded that she and Boyd apparently are in the minority in believing that Stoddard was dismissed improperly.

If Stoddard’s claim is not settled and she files a lawsuit, she could be awarded a severance package but not punitive damages, which are not allowed in civil actions against government agencies.