City manager applicants declined

PLEASANTON EXPRESS
By Pleasanton Express Staff |
November 22, 2023

In a surprising turn of events, Jourdanton City Council has declined all of the applicants for city manager position and voted to continue to keep the job open for further applicants. The motion was voted on during a regular council meeting on Monday.

The vote came after council members deliberated for an hour and a half during an executive session to review the current applicants.

Earlier in the month, council voted to extend the city’s deadline for applications to Nov. 16 where the city was looking at 12 individuals that had applied.

Along with the vote to continue to extend the application deadline for 30 days, council then voted unanimously to extend the interim city manager position to Debbie Molina within that time frame.

Molina was voted on as interim on Aug. 31 and initially agreed to serve for 90 days in which then she would transition back to city secretary.

Upon returning from executive session on Monday evening, Mayor Pro Tem Chester Gonzales made the motion to decline the applicants and extend the interim position for 30 days.

Chester Gonzales was voted to continue as Mayor Pro Tem at a special called meeting on Wed., Nov. 15.
DANIEL ELIZONDO | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

Council could possibly seek contracting services to recommend a city manager in the event they have not found a qualified applicant. He also requested quotes of services by the interim city manager to be discussed at the next regular council meeting on Dec. 4.

The vote comes as the first meeting for two newly elected council members Pamela Manning and Katrina Wiatrek. Both along with reelected councilmember Karen Pesek were sworn in as council members at a special called meeting on Wed., Nov. 15. Council also voted unanimously to keep Gonzales at Mayor Pro Tem.