New Year, New Leadership in Union City

Information submitted by City of Union City:

Union City starts the New Year with a fresh outlook from newly appointed Interim City Manager Antonio E. Acosta or warmly known as “Tony” by City staff, City Council and community members. He succeeds Larry Cheeves who recently retired as City Manager, a position he held since 2003 with distinction. City Council voted unanimously to appoint Mr. Acosta to oversee a full time staff of 217 city employees and an annual operating budget of $45 million. His primary focus in leading the City will be to implement strong economic development initiatives, improve internal communication and community engagement, and to establish marketing strategies that make Union City a sought-after destination for families, visitors and businesses.

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Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci expresses, “I am very pleased to have Tony Acosta serve as Interim City Manager. The year is only a few weeks old and Tony has already exhibited exemplary skill in the position. His enthusiasm is infectious and his communication with City Council is excellent.”

While Mr. Acosta is new to the position of city manager, he is not new to Union City. He is a long time resident of Union City and formerly served as the City’s Deputy City Manager since 2001. In this role, he spearheaded the development of social programs benefitting community members, such as the Youth Violence Prevention and Intervention Program and the New Haven Unified School District’s Kids Zone program. He also championed successful ballot measures that stabilized City revenues over the last several years. Previous to Union City, Mr. Acosta had a 23-year career with the City of Oakland where he rose through the ranks to eventually serve as the Director of Parks and Recreation. During this time, Mr. Acosta most notably worked with East Bay Regional Park District staff to develop and implement effective vegetation management controls in the Oakland Hills in response to the 1991 Oakland Tunnel Fire and served as the lead staff support in the development of the Metropolitan Links Golf Course.

Without a doubt, community members, local elected officials and City staff anticipate great progress in 2015 with Tony leading the charge.

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