Tracy City Manager Used City Credit Card For Personal Expenses
TRACY (CBS13) — A city manager admits he used his city-issued credit card to buy personal items, and it's not the first time he's been caught.
Tracy City Manager Leon Churchill was reprimanded twice by the city for misusing his city credit card, and this week he admitted what he did in front of the public and his peers.
He apologized during the most recent City Council meeting for using his city-issued credit card items like a strip to the vet and an extended hotel stay with his family.
"When we checked out of the hotel, I should have put the charges on two credit cards, but it seemed more convenient at the time to use one card and reimburse the city," he said at the meeting.
Churchill says he paid the city back within days of the charges.
Mayor Pro Tem Michael Maciel says it wasn't the first time they became aware of Churchill's credit card misuse. The city manager was reprimanded for the same thing back in August.
"There's no way to sugarcoat it," he said. "Mr. Churchill violated policy and that has been addressed."
Maciel says the City Council has reviewed the issue and he believed Churchill should keep his job.
"I personally never felt this was a situation where Mr. Churchill was trying to defraud the city," he said. "There was no criminal intent in my mind."
Churchill was place on administrative leave and won't be eligible for any raises this year. His city credit card has been taken away.
No charges were filed in the first case, and so far none have been filed in this case. If he's charged, Churchill could face anywhere from restitution to jail time.
