San Bernardino Appoints Eric Levitt City Manager After Divisive Interview Process; Residents Cautiously Hopeful

In a 7-1 vote on June 4, the San Bernardino City Council appointed Eric Levitt as the city’s new permanent city manager, concluding a turbulent selection process that exposed deep divisions inside City Hall and among community members who continue to call for greater transparency, stability, and public accountability.

Levitt, currently the city manager in Fullerton, will assume his post on August 4 after fulfilling a 45-day notice required by his Fullerton contract. His agreement with San Bernardino includes a $333,000 base salary, 3% annual cost-of-living increases, $12,000 in annual deferred compensation, $775 monthly vehicle allowance, a $6,000 relocation stipend, and severance equal to nine months’ salary.

The vote marks San Bernardino’s fourth city manager/interim city manager appointment in six months — a statistic at the center of fierce debate.

Councilmembers Divided Over Hiring Process

Councilmember Dr. Treasure Ortiz cast the lone dissenting vote, calling out the process as flawed and exclusionary.

“We should have all been included in the second interviews and selection process. They already knew who they wanted and the route they were going to go,” Ortiz told IECN on June 5. Ortiz was not present for either of the two rounds of interviews held the night of April 25 and April 27, noting she was teaching at CSUSB Friday and attending to family matters Sunday following a death.

Ortiz said the recruiter, Ralph Andersen & Associates, was hired for $30,000 to coordinate a full council process but claims that several members — including Theodore Sanchez, Fred Shorett, Kim Knaus, Sandra Ibarra, and Juan Figueroa — decided otherwise. “The recruiter did not schedule the meetings or interviews, they did and they didn’t care that we weren’t there. So if that wasn’t a red flag, I don’t know what was,” Ortiz said.

At the council meeting on June 4, Ortiz underscored the long-term risks of a rushed decision:

 “This is the fourth city manager in six months. The problem is not what you see up here, the problem is what you cannot see behind closed doors. That is where the real failure lies. No one can come into this city and be a successful city manager in this current political climate, because it’s happening where you cannot see it.”

In sharp contrast, Councilmember Kim Knaus defended the council’s process and disputed accusations of wrongdoing.

“A lot of fanfare was created with this recruitment process, unfortunately,” Knaus said. “But it’s imperative to rebuild the foundation in the City of San Bernardino. It’s unfortunate that a lot of the narrative has been skewed to mislead the public to think this process was nefarious.”

Knaus also raised concerns about confidentiality breaches, referring to prior litigation the city faced after leaking a previous candidate’s name. “It seems people were given the name of the city manager recruitment. How they knew where he was from means they would have to know his name, and that is concerning.”

Councilmember Fred Shorett rejected claims that the city has cycled through four city managers in one year. “We have not lost four city managers in a year, we have had interim. We have not had a permanent one,” Shorett said, adding, “It was unfortunate that we had a couple members from our council that could not attend the interviews.”

Mayor Tran: Disappointed but Supportive

Mayor Helen Tran, who was excluded from the initial interviews, initially voiced concern over the process but ultimately voted to approve Levitt’s appointment.

“I was disappointed when the council did proceed to meet without some of us there because it is an important hire,” Tran said. “It’s a critical position in this city and the city manager holds the helm, to serve all of us and not just some.”

Tran emphasized she was able to interview Levitt during a later follow-up session. “I did ask a lot of questions and my colleagues provided feedback. I am comfortable in supporting you as our next city manager. I hope you can use Mr. Bill Gallardo [the current interim] to help you transition until you find your full team,” Tran said.

Councilmember Sandra Ibarra thanked Tran for clarifying that she wasn’t fully left out of the city manager interviews. “We did provide an extra meeting so that we could provide our feedback on each candidate to the full council. So to come up here and say only five of us pushed this through is false, there were six of us.”

Ibarra’s comments were a response to Ortiz’ claims and multiple residents who spoke during public comment. 

Community Members Voice Concerns and Cautious Hope

San Bernardino business owner Luis Ojeda urged quick action but warned of the long-term financial and operational consequences if instability persists.

“Because we have such a lack in services and continuity in the city, the longer we wait, the longer everything’s going to take to be fixed,” Ojeda said. He emphasized the need for better fiscal management: “We have good people here, but good people stay for a little bit, and then they leave. Why? Because there’s no leader to be followed, and no clear goal to be achieved.”

Ojeda pointed to three urgent priorities: “First safety, second homelessness and economic development. Without those three, nobody is going to have any chance to turn the city around.”

Ojeda elaborated further on the deeper cultural and leadership issues that have plagued the city’s ability to retain strong management. “We need to send a message to the elected officials to stop the nonsense. We have a lot of toxicity in this city, and some community members have the attitude of ‘if it’s not my way, it’s the highway,’” Ojeda said. “We always have something in common — safety, homelessness, and economic development — so why not start there? Until we address the leadership vacuum and stop driving good people away, we will continue to waste taxpayer dollars on turnover and training instead of real progress.”

Former councilwoman Kimberly Calvin, who previously advocated for retaining former interim city manager McNeely, argued the city has repeatedly failed to build a foundation for leadership stability.

“Back in 2023, there were multiple community members literally begging for stability,” Calvin said. “I petitioned my colleagues multiple times — could we not keep City Manager McNeely a little bit longer to get us in position to hire the best city manager? We weren’t in position then and we definitely are not now.”

Calvin criticized the council’s decision to hold interviews without full participation. “Never in the history of the City of San Bernardino business have they operated on a Sunday evening without the full council being present,” Calvin said. “Every constituent should be able to say my council member had input.”

Calvin also raised concerns over why former interim city manager Rochelle Clayton was ultimately dismissed from consideration earlier this year.

“Former interim city manager Rochelle Clayton was on her way to a unanimous decision until she began to speak truth about what is actually happening in our city — about risk management, the amount of money we are spending on lawsuits, frivolous lawsuits, fabricated lawsuits,” Calvin said. “That struck a nerve with several council members… and after that, things began to go downhill.”

For community advocate Miriam Nieto, co-director of Just San Bernardino, Levitt’s appointment represents both risk and opportunity.

“Historically, our council has not shown that they are able to appoint a city manager that can remain in office for quite some time,” Nieto said. “However, I want to give them an opportunity. This could be a new beginning where the council can come together and really come to an understanding on how they want to present to the city manager how they should be driving conversations around economic inclusion.”

Nieto called for a transparent, community-centered approach to governing. “I would like first and foremost for the city manager to bring sustainability, transparency, and a real understanding of what is happening in our city,” she said, adding that affordable housing, homelessness, and downtown development must be prioritized in a sustainability plan.

Referencing $1.5 million homes being built on San Bernardino’s north end, Nieto cautioned: “Those homes are not being built for us. Who are they being built for? How is he going to make sure that the people already on the ground doing the work are going to have that space once development happens?”

Levitt’s Vision for San Bernardino

Levitt pledged to work in partnership with the council and community. “I think it’s important to work collaboratively together and with the community,” Levitt said. “During the budget discussions today, I could see the passion from residents and businesses. I want to work with you [council] individually and collectively to move your priorities forward.”

Mayor Tran added: “Eric’s proven track record of growth, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement are in perfect alignment with the needs of San Bernardino.”

Levitt brings more than 20 years of city management experience, having previously served in Alameda, Simi Valley, Janesville, Wisconsin, Sedona, Arizona, and most recently Fullerton, where he developed an economic development plan, improved infrastructure funding, and cut staffing vacancies.

Next Chapter Begins

The council’s decision closes another chapter in San Bernardino’s long-running struggle to maintain stable leadership but opens a new one filled with high expectations, political divisions, and calls for accountability from residents.

As Ortiz warned publicly during the appointment:
“Ethics and integrity do not sit well in the midst of corruption and wrongdoing. The city manager will either fall in line or fall out of place.”