Soledad City Manager McHatten on Administrative Leave

SOLEDAD, Calif. (KION)

Soledad City Manager Michael McHatten has been placed on administrative leave, a city official confirms with KION.

The official says McHatten has been on leave for about four weeks.

Brent Slama has been serving as "Acting City Manager" since May 18. The City Council is scheduled to vote on a resolution July 15 that would make Slama the Interim City Manager.

KION is working to learn why McHatten was placed on leave.

McHatten was announced as Soledad City Manager in December 2016.

In our research for this report, KION learned that McHatten had been the subject of a California Attorney General's office investigation, related to his time as City Administrator of Angels Camp, California (Calaveras County).

In August 2017, the Angels Camp Police Department issued a statement that McHatten was being accused of "potentially" misappropriating about $29,000 in public funds, which they say was revealed by a Grand Jury and an independent audit of City financial records. The police post says at that time, "most if not all of the monies in question have since been repaid to the City."

According to news outlet Calaveras Enterprises, McHatten is accused of receiving "more payouts for administrative leave than he had available from 2014-15."

According to the report, the city's mayor says the amount of money in question was likely significantly less than what was believed and said McHatten was "doing a good job."

The report also says the Grand Jury investigation came after McHatten would have accepted the position in Soledad.

KION has reached out to McHatten for comment. McHatten has not yet replied.

KION is also looking into potential developments in the AG investigation.

This is a developing story.