The Antioch City Council is expected to hire Seattle’s Deputy Inspector General for Public Safety Bessie Marie Scott as its next city manager Tuesday. She was selected after a nationwide search.
Scott has previously worked for the Public Defender Association, the Seattle Community Police Commission, and the Seattle Housing Authority. She earned her Bachelor’s in Law and Society/Philosophy from UC Santa Barbara and an Executive Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington.
Antioch has seen several permanent or temporary city managers come and go since Ron Bernal retired in 2021, including Cornelius Johnson, Ana Cortez, Forrest Ebbs and Kwame Reed.
A Contra Costa County Grand Jury report released last month blames Mayor Lamar Thorpe and members of the city council for the constant turnover. The jurors accuse them of overstepping their authority by intervening in the affairs of the city manager. The problem with turnover extends to other departments as well. Antioch had a 21.6% employee vacancy rate as of February 2024.
According to the report, the mayor and the city council have also violated the state’s open meetings law. These allegations will play a role in the November election, in which the current council majority could be replaced. Ron Bernal — the former city manager — is now running for mayor against Thorpe.
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