The Santa Ana City Council has a closed session item on its agendafor Monday’s meeting and it’s the appointment of a new city manager. And the betting money is on acting city manager Paul Walters removing the term “acting” from the front of his title.
Under Walters leadership, the city has edged away from the brink of financial disaster to a more stable footing. The council has pointed a finger of blame at former city manager Dave Ream, but not as far to give Walters credit for the turnaround.
Questions remain to be seen if Walters continues the dual role of chief of police. If Walters steps down from this role and a new chief isn’t appointed quickly, we wonder if the city’s police department will follow the path of the city’s fire department.
There won’t be an item regarding the removal of PBID on the agenda sources at City Hall have confirmed.
Just did a quick scan of the other news sites and blogs and this appears to be a LiberalOC exclusive!
We don’t revise the closed session agenda until after 4pm on a day that city hall is closed. We had to delay putting the Pbid on the agenda due to it being leaked.
Well that is certainly a step in the right direction. Now, if we could just get a new police chief…
That’s really too bad. Santa Ana still has a long way to go before it’s back on its feet and regains the public trust after the last few years of financial devastation and ethical shenanigans.
Going back out to do a nationwide search first would have been a good way to ensure that, if they were going to choose Paul Walters, he would definitely be competitive with other experienced candidates for this position, and the right person for the job.
Without seeing what other options are out there, we’ll never know if he’s the best leader (like many thought Dave Ream was) or just a convenient choice for this council.
You realize, of course, that the “ethical shenanigans” that you write about involve the same person you endorse. Paul Walters and David Ream came to the city joined at the hip. They’re both in the same ethical mud. One hand washed the other. Walters is now just the fire wall and protection for Ream. The food in Federal Prison is better than jail, but it still sucks.
The only reason the City has ‘edged away from the brink of financial disaster’ is because they have decimated the departments that provided quality of life services, leaving barely a skeleton crew with almost no institutional memory. If anyone thinks that is acceptable, or praise worthy they are either corrupt or delusional
Yes, you’re right. Paul Walters didn’t perform a miracle, he performed more smoke and mirrors that steal funds from necessary accounts. Great point, keep posting.
Paul Walters need to go.
“.. we’ll never know if he’s the best leader (like many thought Dave Ream was) ..”
I am really getting tired of the corrupt Santa Ana City Council and Mayor, and those who shill for them, dumping the Santa Ana fiscal and organizational mess on Dave Ream. Ream is certainly culpable – he knew that the 2011 budget he crapped out was a lie and so did the Mayor and Council. It is always about the next election for this council – they are a bunch of pathetic, irresponsible liars and losers.