Vacaville council appoints Savita Chaudhary as city manager, 5‑year term

The Vacaville City Council on May 13 approved the appointment of Savita Chaudhary as city manager, with a five‑year employment agreement that will begin June 30, 2025.

Sandy Hess, the city’s employee relations manager, said Chaudhary is currently the assistant city manager in Fairfield and previously served as director of information technology for Fairfield and as IT division manager in Vacaville. Chaudhary holds a master’s in public administration and a master’s in statistics. The council conducted nationwide recruitment and interviewed finalists before selecting Chaudhary.

Terms approved by council include an annual starting base salary of $301,000, a city contribution equal to 9 percent of salary to deferred compensation, a $400 monthly vehicle allowance and health and leave benefits consistent with other city management staff. The estimated all‑in annual cost to the city is about $412,000; staff said that cost will be built into the FY 2025‑26 operating budget.

Council approved the employment agreement in a unanimous roll‑call vote. Following the vote, Chaudhary addressed the council and said she is a longtime Vacaville resident and pledged to lead the organization with “integrity, transparency and collaboration.” Current City Manager Aaron Bush, who is retiring, congratulated Chaudhary and said he will be available to assist with the transition.

What’s next: Chaudhary will begin in the role June 30; staff will include the position budget in the FY 2025‑26 adopted operating budget and initiate any onboarding and transition steps required by the agreement.