Watsonville City Manager Rene Mendez has been named as the new City Manager for the City of Salinas, just two years after starting his position.
The Salinas City Council on March 19 approved his contract.
He will begin on May 28 and receive a base salary of $300,000.
Mendez did not return calls seeking comment about his accomplishments while in Watsonville.
“I am really grateful for the time we had with Rene,” said Mayor Vanessa Quiroz-Carter. “He is very professional and dedicated, and had great leadership during his two years with us.”
It is too soon to tell, she said, how the city council will proceed in finding a new manager.
“It’s definitely a loss for our community, but we wish Rene all the best,” Quiroz-Carter said.
In a statement posted on Facebook, city officials said that Mendez has “played an integral part in our City’s administration, contributing tirelessly to the growth and development of our community.”
Mendez in the statement said that serving Watsonville has “been a true honor.”
“As I set out to begin this new chapter, I take with me the lessons learned and the memories shared. I’m confident this community will continue to thrive long after my departure.”
Mendez’s last day with Watsonville will be May 15.
The City Council will be meeting soon to discuss next steps.
another city manager using Watsonville to advance their careers.
As a local teacher, I see the same thing in school administration.
I have an acquaintance, a high school principal, 9 different schools
in 10 yrears.
Many in admin are applying to other schools as soon as they’re hired at new jobs.
Every job is just a stepping stone to the next highest bidder….
I think the best thing you can say about Rene is that he won’t be missed, having had no impact on anything. Notice the article didn’t list anything he’d done besides collect a check, which you can be certain he did.
And now it’ll be Tamara’s turn, although it’s kind of already been, but she’s so well loved by the employee’s and returns that love so emphatically, what could ever go wrong? I can see nothing but happy, happy, joy, joy times in the city ranks as departments get shuffled and employee’s moved from place to place on one woman’s whims.
I guess the job of CM is just to be one-step faster than the executive team. That’s pretty easy to do in these parts, breathing, check, room temperature IQ, check, can’t get a job anywhere else, check, sound just above a half-wit, check.
Depressing!
Tamara’s turn (again) and even though I read sarcasm if your post. She IS “loved” by Employees. If not they will be FIRED! Better fake it until you make it. With her that is ONE Year after hire and expect that Promotion review. I’m sure more leadership positions will soon be filled from the ‘Friends and Family Network’ of hers. It sad when the teams of Supervisors have someone they actually want to put in place and get overruled by one single person. Aka like you said move people wherever she wants. It was brought up by a series of former employees in the past how she works, which is why she was not given the job of City Manager in the past, who knows maybe she has changed her ways going thru major life ‘in house Changes’ all I know is I would love to read a ‘Tell All Book’ from her ‘Ex’.