City of SLO swears in new city manager
Whitney McDonald.
– San Luis Obispo has officially appointed Whitney McDonald as the new city manager. McDonald took her oath of office during the city council meeting on Tuesday evening.
City Clerk Teresa Purrington administered the Oath of Office to McDonald, who expressed her gratitude upon accepting the role. “It’s really just the deepest honor of my life to be here in front of you all accepting this role and taking the oath of office,” McDonald said. “I believe really strongly in the work that we do as a local government and what we all do together here as a community. In San Luis Obispo, we’re not scared of doing hard things. It takes courage and bravery, and we do that every day… and I can’t think of a better way to spend my days and hours and gray hairs – it’s well worth it. Thank you and I can’t wait for the work to come.”
The city manager is one of two key staff roles appointed directly by the city council, along with the city attorney. The city manager is responsible for hiring city staff, managing the city’s budget, overseeing day-to-day city operations, and carrying out the policy direction of the council. In her new role, McDonald will lead a staff of over 480 employees and manage a total budget of approximately $225 million.
McDonald signed her conditional offer for the city manager position in July following a competitive nationwide search. The council selected her due to her local expertise, 17 years of experience serving public sector agencies, and knowledge in housing, land use, development, and environmental issues.
McDonald had been serving as interim city manager after previous City Manager Derek Johnson’s departure in April. Before that, she served the city as assistant city manager.
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