Directors Reject McIntyre Choice for Pasadena Job

The Board of City Directors has rejected City Manager Donald McIntyre’s favored candidate for one of two newly created and controversial deputy city manager positions.

William C. Lewis, a 23-year veteran of City Hall and McIntyre’s choice for the deputy city manager to be in charge of community and safety services, will not be offered the job by McIntyre, city officials said last week.

Frequent attempts to reach Lewis, director of the Employee and Community Services Agency, at his office and home were unsuccessful.

Controversy over Lewis’ rejection by the board erupted last week when Pasadena Superior Court Judge Eric E. Younger, a close friend of Lewis, sent an angry letter to Mayor Bill Bogaard, condemning directors for not agreeing with McIntyre’s choice.

“The skeptics among us would be given some pause . . . by the board’s rescission of--after thrice approving--the deputy city manager system, when it learned that, to the surprise of no one from this galaxy, that Bill Lewis was the choice of your selection process and your manager,” the letter said.

Younger also said in the letter that he was “sickened and ashamed” by the board’s opposition to Lewis.

“I think it’s craziness,” Younger said in an interview last week. “I think somebody should do something about it.”

Younger mailed a copy of the letter to The Times.

Although McIntyre has the authority to decide who gets the the post, city directors said last week that their opposition to Lewis prompted McIntyre to reevaluate, at least for now, filling the job at all.

“A clear, super-majority of the board was not comfortable with” appointing Lewis, Director Jess Hughston said last week. “I like him very much. I think he’s a fine person, but I don’t think he’s the best man for the job.”

Hughston said he had discussed the issue with McIntyre on Wednesday. “I believe that either the position is still open or there will not be (a position),” Hughston said.

McIntyre was being interviewed for the job of San Diego city manager on Thursday and was unavailable for comment.

Directors Hughston, Cole, Bill Thomson and Mayor Bill Bogaard said last week that the efforts are proceeding to hire the deputy city manager, who would head water and power and public works.

City directors, however, had strong words for Younger’s letter.

“That’s a remarkably intemperate and ignorant response,” Cole said. “How does Judge Younger know what’s going on in Pasadena?”

Cole said that a majority of the board “felt that the choice of Bill Lewis was not a choice that made the cost economically and politically worthwhile. Each of the board members had their own reasons. I think in general there was a feeling that it’s time for a new, strong leadership in the city.

“My understanding is that he’s taken an early retirement,” Cole said of Lewis. “I feel for the guy.”

Not all of the city directors, however, agreed that filling the deputy city manager post to head police, fire, paramedics, libraries and community and recreation services was being postponed because Lewis was rejected as the candidate to fill it.

Thomson said there was “no truth” to Younger’s letter. “My last conversation with Don McIntyre (was) that he will be going ahead definitely with the one (position), and may be going ahead with the second position under a different organizational structure.” Thomson said he spoke with McIntyre at the beginning of last week.

Bogaard said that, although McIntyre never directly told him that Lewis was his choice for deputy city manager, “I’ve known from the beginning that Don was predisposed toward Bill Lewis. I think we all understood that Don had tremendous faith in Bill.

Bogaard added that “1984 and 1985 have been difficult years for Bill Lewis, due to the loss of his wife and health difficulties. It is possible that those difficulties raised questions about his ability to undertake the new position if it were offered.” Bogaard said he did not know what Lewis’ health difficulties were.

Just two weeks ago, city officials had said they would probably go through with the plan to hire both deputy city managers. At that time, McIntyre had said he wanted to individually poll board members before officially naming anyone to the positions because residents had opposed the plan during a controversy last month over a proposed assessment district.

The creation of the two posts, with yearly salaries of about $70,000 each, was approved earlier this year by the board as part of a far-reaching reorganization of city government. City officials said the new positions would actually save the city about $180,000 by eliminating several management positions. One of the positions to be eliminated was Lewis’ job as director of the Employment and Community Services Agency.