Anaheim’s Ex-Manager Given Post in Oceanside

The Oceanside City Council has named the former top administrator in Anaheim as interim city manager.

William O. Talley, 54, will take the city reigns while the council searches for a permanent replacement for outgoing City Manager Suzanne Foucault.

The council made its decision to appoint Talley to the interim post after a closed session Wednesday. He is expected to handle administrative duties in the city for between three to six months.

Foucault was forced to resign under council pressure in July after a series of run-ins with her bosses over several staff changes and budgetary moves she opposed. Her last day on the city payroll is Sept. 30.

No Stranger to Conflict

Talley, too, is no stranger to unfriendly councils. Earlier this month, he resigned after the Anaheim council voted 3-2 to fire him after more than a decade as the city’s top administrator.

The Anaheim council had been bitterly divided over Talley’s management style and his handling of several key lawsuits brought against the city, including a dispute with the California Angels over planned modifications at Anaheim stadium.

But one supporter on the Anaheim council called Talley “our Ollie North,” referring to the Marine colonel who testified during the Iran- contra hearings in Washington that he loyally obeyed orders.

Talley is credited with helping to bring the Rams to Anaheim and pushing through two large expansion projects at the city’s convention center. He was honored in 1981 by the 7,000-member International City Management Assn., being presented with its Management Innovation Award.

Before coming to Anaheim, Talley spent two decades with the city of Long Beach, where he performed various administrative duties, such as coordinating the city’s tideland and oil developments as well as handling negotiations to bring the Queen Mary and a Grand Prix auto race to the city.

In 1976, Talley was investigated by the Los Angeles County district attorney about his role in connection with the promotion of the auto race, but the probe found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Talley and his wife, Vicki, reside in Anaheim.