Hermosa Beach council appoints Steven Napolitano as interim city manager after contentious public debate

The Hermosa Beach City Council voted on May 27 to approve an at‑will employment services agreement with Steven Napolitano to serve as interim city manager while the city conducts a search for a permanent hire.

The appointment drew lengthy public comment and debate about the council’s process for filling the city’s top administrative post after the recent departure of the prior city manager. Council members who supported the hire said the city needed immediate leadership to manage ongoing work — including the budget and capital projects — and that Napolitano’s decades of local government experience made him a practical choice. Opponents and many public speakers pressed the council for a competitive, transparent recruitment and questioned whether the short timeline and closed‑session discussions created the appearance of a prearranged outcome.

Napolitano’s proposed interim compensation was disclosed in the staff report: an annualized rate equivalent to $240,000 (expressed in staff materials as an hourly rate), paid under an at‑will employment services agreement that does not include regular city employee benefits but is conditioned on…