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Council appoints interim city manager to permanent post; base salary raised to $270,000
Summary
The City Council approved an amendment to make Patrick Gallegos permanent city manager and increase his base salary to $270,000; the contract requires January annual performance reviews. The city attorney recused from the item and the measure passed 4–1.
The Seal Beach City Council on June 23 voted 4–1 to appoint Patrick Gallegos from interim to permanent city manager and to amend his employment agreement to set an annual base salary of $270,000.
City Attorney Gorelli recused from the item in the interest of avoiding a perception of undue influence because the contract related to his office; Gorelli left the room before the council’s discussion. The council received an oral summary of the proposed contract under the Brown Act: the principal change is a base salary increase from the interim salary figure to $270,000 per year. The amendment also requires the council to conduct an annual performance evaluation of the city manager each January; other compensation and benefit provisions in the existing employment agreement remain unchanged.
Supporters on the dais cited Gallegos’s 13 years with the city and his institutional knowledge, arguing a national search would be disruptive and expensive. Opponents focused on transparency and fiscal context: one councilmember said the staff report should show a fully burdened cost figure for public review and said elements of the contract made them uncomfortable given broader fiscal pressures. The finance director told council the fully burdened increase for the year is under $4,000 compared with the prior figure.
A motion to approve the amendment was moved and seconded and carried 4–1. Council roll call recorded one vote against the contract; the meeting record shows the dissenting councilmember cited contract terms and the city’s structural fiscal issues.
Gallegos addressed the council after the vote, thanked members and pledged to continue working with staff and the community. Staff will implement the amended contract per the council resolution.
