Council Takes Long-Term Approach to Hiring New City Manager

A divided Menlo Park City Council extended outgoing ’ stay with the city by six months Tuesday night, after that they chose the ambitious and expensive process of searching the nation for his replacement.

The 3-2 vote pitted the majority against Council Member Andy Cohen and Vice Mayor Kirsten Keith, who both preferred hiring a new city manager from within current city ranks as way to save money and preserve political culture. Rojas recently announced his retirement from the city’s top post after four years in Menlo Park and 37 years in local government.

said Rojas has done an outstanding job, but was an expensive hire after going through an outside, private consultant. Instead, the council should hire within. And Assistant City Manager Starla Jerome-Robinson is an excellent fit, Cohen said.

“We should do it sooner rather than later,” he told his colleagues. “There is no question in my mind who is the best candidate.”

After Rojas' March 22 announcement to retire, with an exit date of June 15, the city has weighed several options for finding a new city manager. City staff is recommending the council hire a new city manager by mid-summer of next year in order to buffer the unpredictability of current labor negotiations with the unions representing both city staff and city administrators.

Much discussion has revolved around , a voter approved pension reform initiative which sets retirement for non-safety city employees at two percent of salary per year employed at a retired age of 60.

City staff recommended postponing an outside hire until the pension measure takes effect, saving the city $4,700 per month. Rojas offered to stay on for a maximum of six months at his current salary of $18,000 per month, an option cheaper than hiring an outside interim city manager, according to a city staff report.

Labor negotiations, however, and a possible lawsuit against challenging , could halt the new law moving into place, City Attorney Bill McClure told the council.

“There is a legal uncertainty,” he said. “Courts may preclude us from implementing  it, as well.”

Besides accepting Rojas’ offer to serve the city for another six months, on a month-to-month basis, also adopted a hiring timeline and strategy Tuesday night, similar to the model used to bring Rojas into Menlo Park’s city manager seat four years ago.

“An outside search,” Mayor Richard Cline said, “there might be a lot of value in doing that. I would like to see them go through the process.”

The search includes holding public meetings for input on the hiring process, employing an outside consulting firm—estimated to cost roughly $30,000—and establishing a subcommittee to manage the process. The council chose Cohen and Council Member to fill the subcommittee.