Stockton Mayor Says Allegations Aren't Why He's Stepping Down From Group
STOCKTON (CBS13) — Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva says he's stepping down from the Boys & Girls Club for reasons other than recent allegations against him.
Silva has been accused of failing to pay the city fines racked up by the group.
"They're trying to make everything I do much bigger than it really is."
Silva says there are a select few in the city who want to make problems where there aren't any.
"There are people out there that believe in order to sell papers, they have to create controversy."
And Silva says that is the case when it comes to his decision to step down as the CEO of the group come the end of the year.
"It will give me 24-7 to work on the city of Stockton and our problems."
He insists his plan the whole time was to eventually take on the role of mayor full-time and that it has nothing to do with recent reports saying Silva failed to secure proper city permits, potentially costing the group more than $800 in fines and fees.
"People are just trying to nitpick me with those little things."
"As far as anything else, normal bills that any organization would have. I think we pay bills every month just like anyone else. I have an accountant that does that, it's as simple as that."
A decision to leave, he says is his own. But when he fully takes the role as mayor, what about the $102,000 salary he said he was interested in?
"What I said was that I wasn't going to take a salary until we hired more cops and balanced the budget. Both of those things have been done at this time."
Silva says he has already donated $20,000 of that salary to charity.
He will take on an advisory role with the group in 2014.
