Santa Paula is on the lookout for a new city manager as of early 2017. On Thursday, the City Council announced it had decided not to renew its contract with Jaime Fontes, the city’s first Latino city manager. Fontes had sent a letter to the Council expressing his intention to explore other career opportunities, they said. But it was ultimately the Council’s decision to let him go, according to Mayor Martin Hernandez and Councilwoman Ginger Gherardi.
“We have appreciated his work over the years,” Hernandez said. “There comes a point in time when I think, just personally speaking, there’s a need to get some new ideas, some new thinking, some new strategy. Things kind of get stale after a while.”
Fontes has served as the city’s top executive since 2010. His performance had been the subject of closed discussions before. Prior to joining the City of Santa Paula, Fontes held the city manager position in Nogales, Arizona.
Mayor Hernandez praised Fontes for helping facilitate the city’s buyback of its wastewater treatment plant during his tenure. Fontes said that effort is among his proudest accomplishments as Santa Paula’s city manager.
Read more about the city manager’s departure here.