Insolvent San Bernardino Hires New City Manager

The San Bernardino City Council on Tuesday approved the contract for its new city manager, Allen Parker, agreeing to pay him $221,976 per year, according to the San Bernardino Sun.

The city, which is in the midst of Chapter 9 bankruptcy proceedings, has been searching for a city manager since last summer when Andrea Travis-Miller agreed to accept the position on an interim basis, according to city attorney James Penman.

Travis-Miller left Monday to become executive director of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, a regional planning agency.

Parker, who has 30 years of city management experience, including turning around fiscally distressed municipalities, started his new position on Wednesday.

While trying to convince a federal judge that the city should be eligible for bankruptcy protection, Parker will also have to conduct a search for a new finance director after Jason Simpson — who also accepted his position on an interim basis last summer — resigned Jan. 29.

Judge Meredith Jury has not set a date for a hearing on the city’s eligibility for bankruptcy. She postponed the issue during a status hearing held on Dec. 21 when she ordered the city to provide better financial disclosure to creditors.

Since then, the city has hired several financial analysts to help the city gather the information requested by creditors, Penman said.

Penman told The Bond Buyer last week that the city renewed a contract with financial advisor Urban Futures in January that should provide the city with continuity during the bankruptcy proceedings.

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