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San Bernardino’s city council voted last week to hire a new city manager, but it's not without controversy. As IECN’s Manny Sandoval reports, while the hiring of former Fullerton City Manager Eric Levitt fills the position permanently, tensions inside city hall remain high.
Eric Levitt’s hiring follows months of turnover for San Bernardino. They’ve had four city managers in the past year.
Levitt told the council he’s committed to working with the community to understand their values.
Most council members agreed that Levitt is the right choice, despite criticism from some residents about their closed-door selection process.
Councilwoman Kim Knaus dismissed those accusations from the dais.
“It’s unfortunate that a lot of the narrative has been skewed to mislead the public to think this process was nefarious,” she said.
But Treasure Ortiz says many councilmembers, including herself, were intentionally excluded from some interviews.
She says nobody can be a successful city manager under the current political climate in the city.
“The problem is not what you see up here, the problem is what you cannot see behind closed doors,” said Ortiz.
Despite the infighting, some residents remain optimistic about Levitt’s appointment.
Miriam Nieto is with Just San Bernardino and is a homeowner in the city. She says she wants Levitt to have a real understanding of what is happening in our city.
"Affordable housing, homelessness, and downtown development must be prioritized in a sustainability plan,” said Nieto.
Levitt replaces interim City Manager Bill Gallardo, who served for the past three months.
This story was done in collaboration with Inland Empire Community News and the Inland Empire Journalism Hub and Fund.