YORBA LINDA

Council members voted unanimously this week to begin the search for a new city manager.

Council members directed interim City Manager Daniel Miller to get proposals from as many as six search firms to help fill the post.

Miller said the council should be able to select a company by mid-April. The entire process of hiring a permanent city manager could take five or six months and cost $20,000 to $25,000, he said.

The new executive will replace Arthur C. Simonian, Yorba Linda’s city manager for 27 years. Simonian, now on paid administrative leave, is in a legal battle with the city, which is suing him to recover as much as $300,000 in bonuses that he is accused of paying himself without proper authorization. Simonian has denied any wrongdoing and is suing to get his job back.

Councilman-elect Ken Ryan said appointing a new city manager is an important step toward resolving the disputes surrounding Simonian.

“We need to get past the issue,” he said. “And for that, we need to make decisions and take positive steps. And getting a new person is extremely significant.”