City Manager Jeff Laws resigns effective March 6, 2015

Laws was hired in October of 2013 following a 5-month long search to replace former city manager Jeff Briltz who was unceremoniously dismissed in April, by a council led by then Mayor Billy Siegel.

Laws was appointed interim manager in May and originally professed to not wanting the full-time job. However, a meager applicant pool prompted him to enter the fray and he surprisingly got the job despite a lack of experience in city management.

Since his appointment, Laws has endured several controversies including having to deal with the behavior of former mayor Siegel, himself the subject of a failed recall in 2014 as well as a recent action taken by council members to remove him from his mayor’s post, the first Lemoore mayor ever to be removed from office.

Laws and the council have also been mired in controversies involving the Lemoore Golf Course and Economic Development Corporation. 

Laws has been with the City for 18 years, and has served as Commander and Chief of the Lemoore Police Department with his most recent service to the City as city manager. 

According to Wynne’s short release, Laws career in public safety work spans more than 30 years and began in 1984 as a reserve police officer in Porterville.  In 1985, Laws accepted the position of police officer for the Lindsay Police Department.  In 1989, Laws was promoted to Sergeant in Lindsay. 

His service to the citizens of Lemoore began in 1997, when hired by the City as a Commander. 

According to Lemoore City Mayor Lois Wynne, “Jeff Laws has been a valuable resource to the City of Lemoore and will be greatly missed.  In his short time as City Manager, he has moved us in the direction of becoming more business friendly and preparing for future economic growth as he always has the best interests of the City in mind.”