San Ramon City Manager Joe Gorton Announces Retirement

SAN RAMON, CA — San Ramon City Manager Joe Gorton announced that he will retire in January 2023. Gorton has served as San Ramon’s city manager for six years, and worked for the city in a number of roles for sixteen years.

Gorton began his career in 1988 as a deputy sheriff for the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, according to a city news release. He was assigned to the city of San Ramon in 1990 when the city contracted for police services through the county. In November 2006, he became a captain and founding member of the San Ramon Police Department, and was promoted to SRPD Chief in November 2013.

In January 2017, he took over as the San Ramon city manager. During his tenure, the city was able to retain a AAA Bond rating and a large reserve.

He also helped oversee the refurbishment of a number of its facilities, including City Hall, the community centers, the San Ramon Senior Center, and the San Ramon Olympic Pool. The city also constructed a refurbished San Ramon Police Station, and a new joint dispatch and emergency operations center. The city also completed a number of infrastructure improvements, including widening Bollinger Canyon Road and Alcosta Boulevard, and completing a pedestrian bridge over Bollinger Canyon Road at the Iron Horse Trail crossing.

Gorton also helped the SRPD partner with the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District on a mental health pilot project, which shifts response to 911 calls related to non-violent mental health emergencies to paramedics and medically-trained firefighters first. Gorton also worked with Contra Costa County and 19 area cities and towns to establish the award-winning A3 Community Crisis Response Initiative, which aims to provide behavioral 24/7 health crisis services to anyone in the county.

“Words do not adequately express my love for this community and the team that has dedicated their lives to provide a quality of life that is unmatched to those who live, work, and play in San Ramon,” Gorton said in a statement. “The beacon that leads us all is our city council’s vision for San Ramon; both past and present. I am grateful to have worked for this community, and have been a firsthand witness as our councils have put the priorities of the community first. Our staff is amazing and is the very reason San Ramon is one of the most attractive communities in the country. With the leadership of our current department directors, I have full confidence in the success of San Ramon going forward.”

No firm date for Gorton’s retirement is set. The San Ramon City Council will meet in upcoming weeks to discuss his replacement.