What inspired you to enter city management?

About halfway through my term on the Vallejo City Council (December 2009 to January 2014), I realized that I was very curious and encouraged by the city management profession, especially once Vallejo hired a permanent city manager in 2012 (Dan Keen). The more I worked with Dan and better understood the role of a permanent, full-time city manager, the more interested I became in the profession. In particular, I was inspired by how the city and staff were managed with clear vision and firm direction that was both supportive and structured while encouraging innovation and creative problem-solving. As a Councilmember, I also appreciated the city manager’s responsiveness to Council concerns and inquiries, as well as seeking Council input on politically sensitive topics and personnel matters. In addition, the city manager and his management team’s ability to effectively respond to the public’s inquiries and frequent vocal demands for more information and services was appreciated and especially admirable. All of these leadership and public service qualities inspired me to become a city manager once my Council term ended.

How did I become a city manager?

In 2012, I lost my position at the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) due to the elimination of redevelopment in 2011. As a seated elected official, I found it very difficult to secure a full-time position in local government (perhaps, because I was also a policymaker?). As a result, I found a position as an Executive Director of a Property and Business Improvement District (PBID) in South Sacramento. I completed my Council term and stayed on at the PBID for another two years while decompressing from my Council experience – Vallejo was in bankruptcy for the first half of my term. I then began seeking a city manager position; however, I was unsuccessful in making the leap directly from an executive director position to city manager. I regrouped and decided to seek a department head or assistant city manager position. In 2016, I was offered and accepted the position of community development & services director for the city of Arvin (22 miles southeast of Bakersfield). After a little less than 18 months, the city of Arvin faced a structural deficit. Layoffs seemed imminent. Seeing the writing on the wall, I again started applying for city manager positions. This time, I was successful, and landed in the city of Marysville in 2018.

What do you enjoy the most about your role?

City management frequently includes “fixing” various aspects of local government. Solving civic problems and improving local government is rewarding, whether that be repairing existing or developing new city services, installing new infrastructure and/or improving fiscal circumstances to name a few. It’s both challenging and fulfilling to advance city services and improvements with the staffing, funding and other resources that are available and can be afforded. I also find it gratifying to help Councilmembers be successful and realize their collective and individual priorities and aspirations.

What role does the city manager play in local government, and how do you feel it differs from that of a council member or mayor?

In addition to implementing the Council’s policies and making them operational, the city manager also initiates policies and runs the day-to-day operations and administration of the city. City managers respond to and addresses Council inquiries and concerns; respond to the public’s concerns and questions (especially when the Council is involved); direct and manage staff to be successful in their current positions, as well as in their long-term professional goals; establish and implement internal policies; address and resolve personnel matters; manage projects and act as the overall “connective tissue” between the Council, staff, other public agencies and organizations and the public to assist the Council and public to realize their collective vision for the community.

The city manager has to lead (but not too much), follow Council direction (but provide leadership in helping the Council understand the consequences of their potential choices), be firm (but not too firm), be flexible (but not too flexible), use discretion (but not too much) and be strong (but not too strong). The role of a city manager is a blend of psychologist, alchemist, clairvoyant, trailblazer, reformer, dream catcher, coach, steward and facilitator (and I’m sure there are many more qualities we could attribute to the city manager profession).
The city manager’s role is to be politically astute while remaining apolitical; it’s the Council’s role to BE political. Councilmembers focus on setting and initiating public policy, leading the ceremonial aspects of civic life, capacity building of community members, civic groups and organizations and helping them to be successful, monitoring and ensuring that policies are being consistently executed and maintained and, quite simply, all of the politics that is associated with these activities.

What does your typical day look like?

Like probably most city managers, no workday is typical. That’s probably why I enjoy it so much. During my three-year tenure at the city of Willows, I’ve acted as the city’s chief financial officer (until recently), as well as the acting community development & services director and city clerk twice, requiring that I take on all of the duties and responsibilities of these positions. In addition to responding to the Council, emails and participating in meetings, I manage projects and/or provide direction to staff who are managing projects. Currently, I’m developing and distributing educational materials about the city’s structural deficit and Measure I, 1.5% sales tax that is on the November 2024 ballot. I’m also managing and overseeing the complete overhaul of the city’s Municipal Code, assisting the Council to restructure its Finance Committee and developing a gap financing strategy. Should the sales tax be approved in November, the City will still need gap financing by the spring of 2025 before the new revenue arrives.

What city project are you most proud of?

When I first arrived in Marysville (January 2018), the city was under a state mandate to decommission its wastewater treatment ponds by December 2018. The project was estimated to cost $15 million. The city was given six years to complete the project and, when I arrived, it was the last year and only 40% of the project was complete. In addition, there was a $2 million shortfall in project funding and insufficient bond funds to complete the project. In 11 months, we managed to secure a $2 million loan, finalize Army Corps permits that had been languishing for nearly three years, complete construction of the new infrastructure to connect to another facility, decommission the city’s wastewater treatment ponds and avoid state penalties. There are other accomplishments that I’m proud of; however, this one stands out because I was a first-time city manager in the first six months of my contract and without a finance director. It was definitely a race to the finish line!

What are the greatest challenges facing city managers in the state today?

This could be a long list, so this is my short list of the biggest challenges facing Willows:

  • Revenues are not keeping pace with expenditures, especially when it comes to the rising cost of employee salaries and benefits, deferred maintenance, much needed new equipment and infrastructure improvements.
  • Hiring and retaining qualified employees experienced in local government professions (e.g., finance, planning, building, engineering) is becoming increasingly difficult, especially in rural communities like Willows.
  • Timely response to the state’s unfunded mandates for reporting and other directives, especially for small towns and cities with very limited resources.
  • Responding to and managing the frequent misinformation that is promulgated on social media about local government and/or specific projects or services. As the adage goes: “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

When and how do you interact with the residents of your city?

Other than City Council meetings, I meet individually with members of the public on an as need basis, during townhall or other special meetings usually regarding politically sensitive topics, during city events (e.g., National Night Out, “Open City Hall Crawl”), at civic group meetings (e.g., Rotary), and occasionally at Planning Commission meetings. Most of my interactions are initiated by residents and are topical regarding specific projects or services of interest and/or concern to them.

What is the role of a city manager in upholding the publics’ trust in local government?

In the simplest terms, the city manager role is to remain loyal to and defend the law and ethical principles above personal gain and be impartial in performing professional duties. These values are demonstrated by consistent and transparent communication with the Council, public, employees and other agencies; providing factual information so that the Council may make informed decisions and the public may formulate knowledgeable opinions, making information easily accessible and understandable to everyone and ensuring that processes, meetings and customer service are infused with integrity at all levels of the organization.

More profoundly, upholding the public’s trust also means being an honest and unbiased broker as we help the Council and residents to clarify their collective vision of the current and future community that they want to foster and then delivering on that promise. As a city manager, it’s my responsibility to bring the best version of myself to work every day and promote a city and city hall culture that brings out the best in each other, the Council and the community. That, in and of itself, helps to engender and promote public trust. Lastly, public trust is also earned and maintained by offering honest and real political hope. In partnership with the Council, that’s a city manager’s job too!

How are cities shaping the future of California?

As centers of innovation, local government is where the “rubber meets the road” when it comes to improving communities and residents’ quality of life. California cities strive to create attractive communities and a solid foundation for starting and growing businesses, raising families and recreating. To that end, cities innovate to solve tough civic problems. They also learn from each other. They take examples and creative ideas that work in one community and modify them to fit their own. These civic engines of creativity, in turn, make California and its future a place where great ideas are planted, grow, spread and lead the nation.