Napa County Supervisors Deny Severance Pay To Former CEO Minh Tran

Press release from the Napa County Government:

June 6, 2023

NAPA, CA – The Napa County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed today that no severance will be provided to former CEO Minh Tran, as reported by County Counsel Sheryl Bratton.

Originally, on July 28, 2022, the Board unanimously voted to separate Tran from employment on a "no cause" basis. At the time, the Board believed that Tran would be eligible for a severance payment according to the terms of his employment contract and the Napa County Code. However, it was later discovered that Tran had previously accepted a job offer as Riverside County Counsel on June 14, 2022, making him ineligible for the severance payment. He subsequently began his employment with Riverside County on August 30, 2022.

The severance provision in Tran's employment contract clearly states that he must be "willing and able to perform the duties of the Napa County Executive Officer” to be eligible for severance. However, by accepting the job offer, he was neither willing nor able to fulfill the requirements for severance eligibility. The Board did not change any other terms of the separation.

The Board expressed its disappointment that Tran failed to disclose his acceptance of a job in another county. Open and transparent communication is crucial in any professional setting, especially when it pertains to important decisions such as employment status.

The Board has directed its outside counsel to formally notify Tran of the decision today, bringing the county’s consideration of this matter to a conclusion.

This press release was produced by the Napa County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.