Resident Criticizes Alleged ‘Secrecy’ in City Manager Search, Calls for Public Input Before Final Decision

A local resident is criticizing the City Council’s handling of its search for a new city manager, accusing elected officials of conducting a secretive hiring process and calling for greater public transparency before a final decision is made.

In a letter submitted to the City Clerk’s Office Saturday, Oct. 31, resident Victor Caballero described the recruitment process as a “fiasco from beginning to end” and urged the City Council to publicly introduce its preferred candidate, disclose the proposed employment contract and allow residents to ask questions before approving the appointment.

“At every step where Pasadena could have chosen openness, this Council chose secrecy instead,” Caballero wrote in the letter addressed to Mayor Victor Gordo and the City Council.

The criticism comes as the City Council conducts consecutive days of closed-session meetings to interview candidates for the position.

Councilmembers met Saturday and Sunday and are scheduled to conclude the interviews Monday at 3 p.m. at City Hall.

The City Council also met in closed session Oct. 26 to discuss the position.

Caballero questioned the scheduling of four closed sessions over eight days, particularly with the cancellation of the regular City Council meeting scheduled for Nov. 3.

“Four closed sessions in eight days, each listing a single item — ‘public employee employment, Position: City Manager’ — and each naming the Mayor as the Council’s designated representative,” Caballero wrote.

He argued that residents have received little information about the candidates or the selection process despite earlier assurances that the public would have opportunities to provide input.

The City Council relaunched its nationwide search in September after Riverside City Manager Mike Futrell, its first choice for the position, withdrew in April, less than three weeks before his scheduled May 13 start date.

Former City Manager Miguel Márquez retired in April, and Matthew Hawkesworth has served as interim city manager since his departure.

The latest application period closed Oct. 16. The search is being conducted by the Byers Group, a California-based executive recruitment firm.

Caballero acknowledged that California’s Brown Act allows public agencies to conduct closed-session discussions involving personnel matters but argued that the law does not prevent the City Council from providing greater transparency during the selection process.

“Let me be clear: the Brown Act permits closed sessions on personnel matters, and no resident expects to sit in the interview room,” he wrote. “But the law permitting closed deliberations does not require a closed process.”

Caballero outlined four requests for the City Council, including promptly announcing the selected candidate and the council’s vote, publishing the proposed employment agreement before final approval, holding a public introduction with an opportunity for community questions and explaining why the previous recruitment effort failed.

He also called for the final vote on the employment contract to take place during a regularly scheduled, publicly noticed City Council meeting rather than a special meeting.

The next city manager will oversee approximately 2,200 municipal employees and a city budget of about $1.5 billion. The position carries an advertised annual salary ranging from $380,000 to $425,000, depending on experience and qualifications.

Major responsibilities will include overseeing the city’s continued recovery from the Eaton Fire, preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, infrastructure improvements and long-term financial planning.

Caballero argued that the importance of the position makes public scrutiny essential, particularly following the unsuccessful attempt to hire Futrell.

“A hire of that weight, made entirely behind closed doors after a failed first attempt, asks residents to trust a process that has not earned it,” he wrote.

The City Council has not publicly announced a finalist or a date for selecting the next city manager.

“Pasadena deserves better than a done deal,” Caballero concluded. “Announce the choice, publish the terms, and let the public be heard before — not after — the decision is final.”