South Pas City Manager Appointed to Irwindale

The City of Irwindale appointed South Pas City Manager John Davidson to serve as its new City Manager effective Nov. 7 at its Council meeting Wednesday night.

Davidson, who came to South Pas as a part-time manager in June 2009, was up against approximately 30 other applicants, said Sharmeen Bhojani, Human Resources Manager for Irwindale.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to work with yet another good team, an excellent council and community issues that are very exciting and challenging," Davidson told the Pasadena Sun Monday.

And even though Davidson was just hired as a full-time employee for South Pas in April 2011, Mayor Mike Ten says this was part of the plan—that Davidson was brought on to help guide Assistant City Manager Sergio Gonzalez.

"Initially we brought him on as an interim City Manager," said Ten in a "I think we have strategically put a good man in a good place ready to step up for us."

"People always ask me why Sergio is talking for the City," said Ten. "Because Sergio is the future of our City."

Gonzalez came to South Pas in 2003 as a part of the community services department. He was promoted to Assistant City Manager in 2008.

Yet even though Gonzalez was spoken highly of by several candidates at , many also stressed that it's important our new City Manager have a backbone.

"I think we all know what has happened in the past with lack of transparency. I need to see a City Manager who will say no to an individual City Council member," said candidate Chris Claeser.