Pasadena Assistant City Manager Steve Mermell was promoted to the city’s top position Monday night following a unanimous vote by the City Council. The selection concludes a five-month search that attracted over 50 applicants.
Mermell will now take over for former city manager Michael J. Beck who left for a vice chancellor position at UCLA in February.
The city was initially apprehensive about hiring from within because of a 2014 embezzlement scandal made possible by a “complete breakdown” in the city’s internal controls. But, in the end, Mermell’s knowledge and expertise outshined all other candidates, according to Mayor Terry Tornek.
“He knows what’s right and what’s wrong on the inside,” the mayor said.
Mermell has been with the city since 1989, first serving as an administrative analyst at Pasadena Water and Power. He went on to work as Purchasing Administrator, Budget Administrator and Deputy Director of Finance for the Finance Department before assuming the assistant city manager role. Since Beck’s departure, he has also been serving as interim city manager.
Mermell will no doubt be drawing on that tough financial experience, as the city is expected to run a deficit by 2018. He’ll be overseeing cuts to services as a result, while trying to restore a sense of morale, he said.
Mermell has confirmed he’s accepting the position, even though a contract has not yet been finalized. The total compensation for his predecessor was almost $400,000 in 2015, according to Transparent California.
Read more about Steve Mermell here.