The Pasadena City Council on Friday restarted a national search for a city manager after Mike Futrell decided in April to remain as Riverside’s chief administrator.
Pasadena is accepting applications for the job through Oct. 16, and the most qualified candidates will be invited to interviews in late October and early November, officials said.
The council has hired the Marina del Rey-based Byers Group to oversee the recruitment process.
Riverside City Manager Mike Futrell was hired the Pasadena position in mid-April, but he withdrew from consideration near the end of the month and opted to stay in Riverside. Futrell had been set to take over Pasadena management May 13.
On July 5, he resigned from his Riverside job. No reason was given for his departure, but it coincided with a legal battle between his wife Susan Freeman and the city.
Freeman filed a legal claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, on June 11 allegeing the city investigated her without due process in retaliation for criticism of public officials. The legal claim followed a letter from the Riverside City Council sent to Freeman alleging she harassed municipal employees, which she has denied.
Meanwhile in Pasadena, Interim City Manager Matthew Hawkesworth has remained in the position while council members decide what to do about finding a permanent hire.
Pasadena’s former City Manager Miguel Márquez announced his resignation in November. He started in the job in August 2022 and left city service in April.
Hawkesworth, who had been the assistant city manager, was appointed to the interim post effective April 17.
According to the recruitment brochure, Pasadena’s city manager oversees “a General Fund budget of $365 million and a total budget of approximately $1.5 billion, including $446 million for capital improvement projects and $110 million in appropriations for the city’s three operating companies — the Rose Bowl Operating Company, the Pasadena Center Operating Company, and the Pasadena Community Access Corporation. As the City’s Chief Administrative Officer, the City Manager will lead 15 departments and approximately 2,200 staff, partnering with and supporting the City Council on policy development while directing the day- to-day administration of a complex organization.”
The city used Oregon-based executive recruitment firm WBCP Inc. for the search that led to Futrell’s selection.
More information is available from the city’s recruitment brochure.
