City leaders in Lemon Grove approved a three-year contract naming Tony Winney as city manager.
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After a months-long recruitment and vetting process, the Lemon Grove City Council formally selected Winney for the city’s top administrative position Tuesday with a 4-1 vote. Mayor Alysson Snow was the opposing vote.
“I promise that I will lead this organization with integrity,” Winney said.
He has served as the city’s interim city manager for the last seven months after city leaders chose him to temporarily fill the vacant position created after former City Manager Lydia Romero’s contract wasn’t renewed. She was the city’s top administrator for over 10 years.
The council hired Bob Murray and Associates, a recruitment firm, to conduct a nationwide search and vetting process for the permanent pick. In the last few months, the council has met repeatedly in closed session to interview candidates and discuss their selection.
In his tenure as the city’s interim manager, Winney oversaw city staff through the budget process and a monthslong, contentious effort to strengthen tenant protections.
All the while, officials recently approved a staffing overhaul, citing persistent organizational instability, in an effort to bring more structure to the city’s operations.
City leaders said they are confident Winney is the person to guide Lemon Grove’s municipal operations and create stability for staff.
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Before starting as the city’s interim manager, Winney was the interim deputy city manager of Rancho Cucamonga and previously served as assistant city manager for Coronado and National City. Overall, he has over 25 years of experience in city management.
His employment agreement will last three years — through September 2029 — with a base salary of $215,000. The contract includes an annual cost of living increase, not to exceed 3% or the consumer price index. The agreement includes a six-month lump sum severance if he is fired without cause.
“You (Winney) are very easy to approach and the community seems to really take to you,” Mayor Pro Tem Jessyka Heredia said.
Snow said she had some “concerns” about the selection process.
“That really failed the expectations of what this process could have looked like… so I am discouraged by that,” Snow said. “I think we needed to have more input from the community and some more input from staff.”
Snow voted against approving his employment contract, noting she also had concerns about the indemnification section of his contract, which would essentially make the city financially responsible for any legal liabilities he caused.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” Winney said. “I’m going to be focused on fiscal sustainability, economic development, working with our staff to make our organization the best it can be, working with the community to make sure that we’re listening to them and hearing what they have to say and being as transparent as we can.”
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