HAYWARD — The Hayward City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to place City Manager Ana Alvarez on paid administrative leave, less than six months after she was hired.
Mayor Mark Salinas said Tuesday that the city had been conducting a performance evaluation of Alvarez since April 22, which had been revisited on May 6 and May 13. But city officials did not publicly give an exact reason for placing her on leave.
City Attorney Michael Lawson is taking over city manager duties in the interim, officials said.
Alvarez assumed her role on Jan. 9, replacing former city manager Kelly McAdoo, who left in May 2024 after 13 years with Hayward to work for the city of Santa Barbara.
In a news release Tuesday, Hayward officials said Alvarez will remain on paid leave “pending a final decision on her status” and added that “no further comment on the matter will be forthcoming from the city at this time.”
Salinas did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.
In a December news release announcing Alvarez’s hiring, Salinas said he was “beyond excited” and called Alvarez a “seasoned and highly skilled municipal administrator known for setting the bar high when it comes to delivering the very best public services.”
“She embodies the dreams and aspirations of Hayward families, with a remarkable journey of her own that began with humble immigrant roots,” Salinas said in the statement.
According to her two-year contract, Alvarez gets $385,000 a year in base pay, plus benefits. If terminated, she is entitled to a minimum severance of 90 days of salary and benefits, paid in a lump sum, according to the contract.
Alvarez previously worked as deputy general manager for the East Bay Regional Park District, deputy director of Parks and Open Space for the city and county of San Francisco and director of the Santa Fe Springs Community Services Department.
Alvarez, who was born in Mexico City, holds a doctorate degree in policy, planning and development from the University of Southern California, and a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Northridge.
