Vallejo City Manager Greg Nyhoff must be fired. 

As City Manager, Nyhoff is in charge of the Vallejo Police Department (VPD). Even Vallejo’s Chief of Police, Shawny Williams, reports directly to Nyhoff. The City Manager has the power and responsibility to investigate complaints from within VPD. Below is a timeline of events that make it clear Nyhoff has failed in his duties as City Manager, brought shame and embarrassment to our city, and must be removed from his position.

• Jan. 2018: Nyhoff becomes City Manager, putting him in charge of Vallejo PD and giving him the power and responsibility to investigate all complaints.
• Feb. 2019: Capt. Whitney alerts Nyhoff of a secret club within VPD who bend the points of their badges to signify murders they commit in the line of duty.
• April 2019: Nyhoff puts Capt. Whitney on leave; then VPD Chief Bidou retires
• Aug. 2019: Nyhoff fires Capt. Whitney.
• Nov. 2019: New VPD Chief Shawny Williams is sworn in. Photographs of the ceremony show some officers present had bent badges, making it clear the practice was still ongoing.
• July 2020: Open Vallejo releases investigative report detailing the practice of badge bending amongst some VPD officers. Nyhoff first says he has no knowledge of such a practice and denounces claims as untrue. He later backtracks and says former VPD Chief Bidou previously investigated claims and found them to be false.
• July 2020: Chief Williams launches an internal inquiry into VPD regarding the allegations of badge bending. In just three days, substantial evidence of the practice is found and a third party investigation is officially launched.

It was Nyhoff’s job to ensure a thorough investigation was conducted as soon as Capt. Whitney made the initial complaint. We know Nyhoff either did not conduct any investigation at all or did not make any effort to ensure it was thorough because we know when Chief Williams launched an internal inquiry regarding the same allegations, he was able to find substantial evidence in only three days.

Additionally, Nyhoff broke whistleblower protection laws by firing Capt. Whitney for raising concerns about this disgusting and unethical practice. These facts suggest that Nyhoff fired Capt. Whitney to protect the secret clique of murderers in VPD who bent the tips of their badges to mark their kills and who celebrated kills with beers and cookouts. Nyhoff fired Capt. Whitney in August 2019 before new Chief Shawny Williams could be sworn in in November because Nyhoff knew Williams would question why Whitney had been put on leave. Nyhoff illegally and intentionally covered up any traces of the scandal.

Nyhoff is running Vallejo into the ground.

Vallejo City government runs on a Council-Manager system. In this system, the Mayor has no executive functions and is basically an at-large Council Member. The City Manager (Nyhoff) is the one who really runs the show, similar to how a CEO runs a company. As City Manager, Nyhoff was wholly responsible for developing and presenting the atrocious city budget that allocated 46% of Vallejo’s general fund to Vallejo PD (a $4.2 million increase from the previous budget) in the middle of a pandemic when our most vulnerable communities are in desperate need for resources. The proposed budget proved overwhelmingly unpopular amongst Vallejo residents but was approved by Council 6-1 (McConnell dissenting) with Nyhoff’s strong recommendation. Make no mistake, Nyhoff is the one really running the show.

At the June 30, 2020, City Council meeting, Nyhoff pushed forward a resolution that would give him a $24,000 salary increase. When asked about it, Nyhoff said it was a mistake, a “clerical error.” This was no mistake. Nyhoff moved the monies from his monthly bonuses to his salary line to artificially increase his income in a practice that is known as pension spiking. On July 30th, the Supreme Court of California ruled the practice illegal. Nyhoff knew this decision was coming and guided City Council to approve this maneuver before the CA Supreme Court could announce their decision. City Council complied with Nyhoff’s underhanded, self-serving recommendation and approved his salary increase 6-1 (McConnell dissenting). Make no mistake, Nyhoff is the one really running the show.

At the July 29, 2020, City Council meeting, Nyhoff proposed an increase in sales tax to help pay for a new police station at the Waterfront. The proposed increase would raise Vallejo’s sales tax to 9.125%, higher than nearby cities with far more robust tax bases such as San Francisco, Napa, and Walnut Creek. This regressive tax would unfairly burden our most vulnerable residents, and is made worse by the economic uncertainty present under COVID-19. Yet Nyhoff introduced it as a means of procuring the funds for his $14 million new VPD station at the waterfront. A new police station (let alone a $14 million one!) is the last thing this city needs in the middle of a global pandemic. On Nyhoff’s recommendation, City Council voted 5-2 (McConnell and Miessner dissenting) to approve for this regressive tax measure to be on the ballot in November despite overwhelming public opposition. Make no mistake, Nyhoff is the one really running the show.

Get Nyhoff out now.

Despite always claiming Vallejo does not have the resources to fund services and programs that will actually improve outcomes for our city’s residents (e.g. restorative justice programs, city-wide mental health services, youth programs, meal programs, better roads, better parks, affordable housing, and programs for our houseless community), Nyhoff always seems to find a way to get funds for himself and his friends at VPD.

Nyhoff does not care about Vallejo or its residents. Nyhoff has failed at his job and has abused the power of his office to fatten his own pockets. Nyhoff’s mismanagement of City resources is inching Vallejo closer and closer to another bankruptcy. 

To save Vallejo, we must cut out the cancer.

Sign this petition, get Greg Nyhoff out.

#FireNyhoff