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Medford official placed on administrative leave Friday Oct 21, 2016 at 4:03 PM Oct 21, 2016 at 5:33 PM Damian Mann Mail Tribune @reporterdm Brian Sjothun, Medford's new city manager, placed his Deputy City Manager Bill Hoke on paid administrative leave Friday. "It's a personnel matter right now that I can't discuss," Sjothun said. "We hope to have a resolution to this in the very near future." Hoke receives a base salary of $145,911. A longtime employee of the city, Hoke served as city manager pro tem for a year after the City Council fired former City Manager Eric Swanson in 2015. Hoke could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon. He has been with the city since 2000 and was also the city's economic development director. Sjothun, who was hired as city manager in August and was formerly the city's Parks and Recreation director, said he couldn't discuss the reasons why Hoke is out, or whether Hoke was planning to resign. An email sent to city staff on Friday from Sjothun said Hoke would no longer be working for the city, effective Friday. Councilor Dick Gordon said he supports Sjothun's decision but wouldn't comment on whether he knew about the action in advance. "I think I knew the two might have difficulty working together," he said. "I wish Bill well," Gordon said. "I'm sorry this has happened." Councilor Chris Corcoran said the council was in the loop before Sjothun made the decision. "That's Brian's call as a city manager," Corcoran said. The city has been in a difficult position as it struggled to find a new city manager, Corcoran said. "The council has been in a position for the last two years it shouldn't be in," he said. "I'd like to thank Bill for all his years of service and all the years of contributing to the community," Corcoran said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm.