SAN CLEMENTE : City Council Names New City Manager

David Elbaum, a governmental consultant for the Ernst & Young accounting firm and former chief administrative officer for Santa Barbara County, was named the new city manager Tuesday.

Elbaum, 40, an Irvine resident who is married and the father of two, will replace William O. Talley, who is retiring. Elbaum was chosen by the City Council after a field of 232 candidates was narrowed to three finalists, and will be paid $92,000 annually, plus benefits.

A graduate of Santa Monica High School and UC Berkeley, Elbaum said his previous residence in coastal communities will help him in Dana Point.

“I understand what the community finds appealing about a coastal town,” said Elbaum, adding that he hopes to establish avenues for citizens to become active in city affairs.

While in Santa Barbara County for nearly seven years, Elbaum was responsible for an agency with a $220-million budget and 3,200 employees.

“Dana Point is very fortunate to have someone of Elbaum’s background and experience,” Mayor Karen Lloreda said. “His knowledge of coastal issues, combined with his enthusiasm and fresh outlook, promise to reap rewards for Dana Point.”

While Talley will stay at the city’s helm for the next two weeks, his scheduled departure puts an end to a local flap surrounding his hiring in 1988. At that time Talley, a veteran city administrator, was already collecting a monthly pension of nearly $7,600 from the state’s Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS.

To allow him to work in Dana Point and collect his retirement, Talley was hired as an independent, private contractor. At the same time, the city attempted unsuccessfully to enact legislation that would enable Talley to collect his pension and the city to join PERS.

When the legislation was killed and the city joined the state system last December, Talley had six months to either leave his job or give up his pension, which he refused to do.