The Unanswered Burning Questions Surrounding Division Fire Chief Patrick Vargas

In June of this year, we reported that embattled Division Fire Chief Patrick Vargas was placed on administrative leave for reasons not made public ( read article here ). It is now six months later, and the public still does not have any answers. The South San Joaquin County Fire Authority never released a statement about it, nor did the City Attorney, the City Manager’s office, or any other local agency. Equally troubling is the local paper, the Tracy Press, did not investigate the matter at all, which is the responsibility of the media.

It is apparent that only in Tracy can a senior staff member be placed on administrative leave and no one cares! The problem is that people should care what is happening at City Hall, particularly when it comes to departments dealing with public safety, as is the Tracy Fire Department. Below are some questions the Tracy Press and others should be asking about the Patrick Vargas suspension.

Has Patrick Vargas’ wife, Council Member Veronica Vargas, formally recused herself from this matter? 

It’s a fair question given that Councilwoman Vargas is a senior member on council, and who had close ties to then City Manager Jenny Haruyama. And it is without argument that Veronica has influence over city staff, who often bend to her will. Further, as we have documented extensively, Veronica has demonstrated that ethics mean nothing to her in order for her to get her way. She has been reported to the FPPC multiple times and in May 2021, she was found guilty of violating the state’s ethics rules ( read more here ). The FPPC further ruled that she has conflict of interest in making contract decisions related to the Tracy Fire Department ( read more here ), something Veronica continues to argue against.

Is Division Fire Chief Patrick Vargas still on paid Administrative Leave?

The taxpayers deserve the right to know if Patrick Vargas remains on paid leave, perhaps enjoying life at home while waxing Veronica’s Maserati. Patrick’s base pay level is $184,553.20, according to the City’s Master Salary Schedule effective November 7, 2021. This does not include the other pay and benefits, which brings his total pay to over $300,000 per year. That is a lot of money for someone to be paid while sitting at home.

Why was Division Fire Chief Patrick Vargas placed on Administrative Leave?

It takes a serious charge for a senior staff member to be placed on Administrative Leave. That means that Patrick allegedly did something egregious enough to be sent home pending further investigation. It is fair for the public to know why he was placed on leave and have any additional steps been taken on the matter? After all, this is not the first offense by Patrick with the Fire Department. He had a harassment charge filed against him by a fellow firefighter and, of course, no one can forget his felony conviction of wire fraud with department money. Also left unanswered is why is it taking so long to conclude an investigation into the events that resulted in the city placing Vargas on administrative leave?

Why does the Tracy Fire Department continue to protect Division Fire Chief Patrick Vargas?

It is understandable that firefighters and police officers cover for their own. These are high stress, high risk jobs, which require reliance and trust in each other. So, it is relatable that they naturally work to protect each other. However, when is enough-enough? The public expects ethical behavior from the people charged with running and protecting the city. They are getting paid by the taxpayers. They have a moral obligation to the public to deal with unethical staff members accordingly. Patrick Vargas, however, seems to be an exception to the rule.

Did Division Fire Chief Patrick Vargas ever pay back the city the money he stole that got him a felony conviction?

We asked this question in the past and will continue to do so until we get an answer. Did Patrick Vargas pay back the $138,000 stole from the Tracy Fire Department back in 1995? He was convicted of felony wire fraud and spent four months in jail, only to be reinstated by the Fire Department ( read more here ). While he did his time, that was taxpayer money.