Wanted: Executives. Apply, North O.C. Cities

North Orange County may as well hang a large “help wanted” sign on the Orange Freeway.

Retirements, career moves and a city manager scandal have turned Brea, Placentia and Yorba Linda into a land of opportunity for would-be administrators and city officials--all of whom would be in line for handsome salaries.

Both Brea and Yorba Linda need city managers to take charge of their city halls. As the top administrative post--and the most influential--these positions pay $108,000 to $130,000 a year.

Brea City Manager Frank Benest left last week for a better-paying job in Palo Alto. And Yorba Linda, which technically has two city managers on the payroll right now, is seeking just one person to fill the spot.

Yorba Linda City Manager Arthur C. Simonian is on paid administrative leave, and the city has hired interim City Manager Daniel Miller to fill in until a permanent replacement can be found.

The city is suing Simonian to recover up to $300,000 in bonuses he allegedly paid himself without proper authorization. Simonian has claimed no wrongdoing, and is suing to get his job back.

Both cities have hired recruiting firms to help fill their city manager spots.

“We’ve gone out for [department] directors before, but that’s been left up to the city manager,” said Brea Mayor Bev Perry. Finding someone for that top spot requires casting a far broader net.

“It’s a whole new ballgame,” Perry said.

Placentia City Administrator Bob D’Amato is heading his city’s search for a police chief to replace Daryll Thomann, who retired last month.

The Placentia-Yorba Linda and Brea Olinda school districts also are seeking administrators to fill top spots before the new school year.

Placentia-Yorba Linda has hired a search firm to help find a replacement for Supt. James O. Fleming, who retires June 30. Brea Unified needs an assistant superintendent to replace Gary Goff, who retires in July.

The collective list of openings may seem unusual, but it happens more often than one would expect.

Bob Murray, vice president of DMG-Maximus Inc., one of the largest government recruiting firms in the country, said seven neighboring cities on the San Francisco Peninsula have spots open for top managers.

“For there to be a number of openings in cities next door to each other is not rare,” said Murray, whose company is conducting the job search for the Brea city manager position. Across the nation, Murray said, his company is conducting 80 searches for various cities.

Sometimes the trick is not so much finding the qualified applicant, but getting that person interested in the job.

Take Yorba Linda, which, for the past several months, has been embroiled in a legal battle with Simonian.

Yorba Linda Councilman John M. Gullixson has said, “I don’t trust the staff anymore.” His political opponent, Councilman Mark Schwing, has said, “Candidates with good qualifications are going to think twice before applying for this job.”

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Base Salaries

Brea city manager: $130,000

Yorba Linda city manager: $108,000

Placentia Unified School District supt: About $140,000

Brea Olinda Unified School District assistant supt: $90,000 to $102,519

Placentia police chief: $93,000

Brea community services director: $83,000

Source: City and school officials