Controversial Encinitas city manager Kerry Miller is going to Folsom.
No, he's not going to jail. He has taken a new job.
Former South Lake Tahoe city manager takes Folsom job
By Cathy Locke -- Bee Staff Writer
Kerry Miller, the former city manager of South Lake Tahoe, was named the city manager of Folsom on Wednesday night.
Miller, currently city manager of Encinitas in northern San Diego County, was named to the post during a special City Council meeting. He will take over the new job by Oct. 15.
Miller,55, has 30 years of municipal management experience, including 25 as city manager, 12 in South Lake Tahoe.
Folsom Mayor Andy Morin said council members were impressed with Miller's staff-development skills.
"He has the ability to work from the bottom to the top in the (organizational) chart," Morin said. "He has a real talent for mentoring employees."
Miller succeeds Martha Lofgren, who resigned after six years as city manager.
sacbee.com story
rocklintoday.com story
City of Folsom official website press release.
Kerry Miller wishes he was as cool as Johnny Cash. Or even as cool as Joaquin Phoenix.
Wow! We need a good replacement. Electing Teresa and one other good councilmember- not Slingblade- is essential at this point. It will be interesting to see who council selects as the interim city manager, and a permanent City Manager. They better be transparent!
ReplyDeleteHe has the ability to work from the bottom to the top in the (organizational) chart," Morin said. "He has a real talent for mentoring employees."
ReplyDeleteDid Morin mean "marrying employees"?
Good ridance. We needed to get rid of Miller. He lied to me on his pending departure several months ago. What else has he lied about? He has as much character as the current city council has.
ReplyDeleteDump Dlagher in November and recall the rest in December.
Nothing in today's paper. Nice scoop J.P.
ReplyDeleteKerry Miller and Christy Guerin leaving - how could we get so lucky.
ReplyDeleteI smell change in the air and it smells GREAT.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. I love transparent people. Oh would that we could have a great city manager. And the "rumors" were true! I hope Mr. Miller does a better job for Folsom than he did for us, or South Lake Tahoe. sigh.
ReplyDeleteBut looking forward, I'm hoping for a big shift, too. Whoever we have on Council needs to know that he or she has to be open with the public, not just sitting behind the counter, say at a lawnmower shop, not really willing to talk about what matters in any coherrent fashion. Dan, we love you, but someone else needs to give this a go. You had a good four years, and this whole country desperately needs a big, big change.
Christy Guerin is a big fan of closed door manueverings. This is how she has got where she is, by being sneaky and pushy. We hope what goes around, comes around, re the elections.
Unfortuantely, we couldn't make it to the Council meeting last night. I hope to watch it tonight. I had planned on going, but ended up not being able to, afterall.
Did anyone else here go?
agree with every point made so far. The staff marriage, the way it was handled and the culture it set at city hall was really poor judgement.
ReplyDeletebut........
If you were around seven years ago with Wasserman and Bensen and the crooks of that era, Encinitas IMHO is so much better now.
Kerry leaves Encinitas in much better position than when he arrived.
Job well done.
I agree. He just needed to be more transparent, not fish in his own pond, and let the public will decide the direction of the City, not his own agenda.
ReplyDeleteIt is ironic that we had Rob Wilder and Bruce Elhers running last time, and they may have kind of canceled one another out. Either one would have been way better than who's in office now.
ReplyDeleteStocks, like everyone, has some good points and like the majority on Council, a lot of BAD points. Whether Rodger is a dodger, or whether he "rants" or not about NCTD is besides the point. Stocks, as chair of NCTD, should be better informed and know that it was definitely NOT on time and on budget a mere five months ago.
Stocks is also one of the deceivers, along with Sneakypants Guerin, who was saying our City budget is fine, we can afford to sling money around (also Slingblade and shaken not stirred, James Bond, and Maggie Hoolahoop, too).
Yes they tried to stick that tax on our trash bills to bail out the general fund, without a vote. The only reason we got to vote is due to the fine work and concern of people like Donna Westbrook and Bob Bonde, Bill Rodewild, and many more. I sure won't guilt trip anyone for not running this time. Maybe next time more people can afford to be "semi-retired." It definitely does have to be a labor of love. You can't buy integrity.
I'd love to dump Bond, Stocks, and maybe Maggie will have to step down due to health problems. I remain hopeful, too. Bitterness will eat up your liver, friends.
Yet I still say what comes around goes around. We are keeping our eyes wide open, and on the ball, paying attention, not illegal taxes.
"Kerry leaves Encinitas in much better position than when he arrived." You must be kidding. He wanted redevelopment, he wanted Prop A, he wanted Prop C, he wanted a Public Information Officer, he increased our Landscape and Lighting tax, he locked down city hall, he gave employees every other Friday off, he made sure the raises for all went thru as well as increased benefits and pensions, he runs city hall - not the council. The Planning and Engineering Depts are what they are because they take direction from Kerry. He abolished the Asst City Mgr position so that he would have total control. You could never, ever trust him or his word. and there is more - talk to the folks in So. Lake Tahoe.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that Kerry was a terrible city manager and he did all that in seven years. (he came here in Nov. 1999 when the people in South Lake Tahoe were about to take him out)
ReplyDelete"He abolished the Asst City Mgr position so that he would have total control. "
ReplyDeleteFunny, the way I remember it was that the Asst. City manager, Jim Benson was running the show and needed to go along with that position.
today, Encinitas is a better place than it was seven years ago.
Especially our beaches, our parks, and downtown.
Corroption and incopetance at city hall is probably a push as compared to several years ago. (it was really bad folks! Ask Sheila)
That's the test IMHO, did you leave it better than you received it. Warts and all.
We can disagree, and we apparantly do, but my opiionion is that he did a good job.
I wish him luck and lessons learned.
Jim Benson was fired and then Kerry (in one of his many reorganizations) abolished the Asst. City Mgr. position and created 2 Assistants to the City Manager - Jenny Smith and Richard Philips. Yes, the same Jenny Smith that Kerry then made Director of Finance.
ReplyDeleteWe are more concerned than ever that Christy Guerin, who is our lame, lameduck has hand selected Phil Cotton. I wouldn't trust staff's recommendations for a second, as they are the ones who wanted Miller to get two pay raises in 2005, and Sabine & Morrison, too.
ReplyDeleteCouncil just goes along with whatever staff recommends, 99 times out of 100, I'd say, often simply (and I do mean simple) voting yes on the consent calendar without knowing its contents!
Miller may have been a good mentor, but he would never speak to me, a citizen of Encinitas who did try to call him several times. Just as Christy Guerin would not return calls, neither would he. No one would, including Maggie. And it's not just me, folks. The NCT piece states that Christy Guerin would not return repeated phone calls re the name change deal. She's mad at the SDUT! Better watch out, she could have protestors arrested if they go to the Oct. 1st bash to welcome the Japanese delegation. I won't be clapping!
Kerry Miller was part of the exclusive "Sister City Country Club mentality." I completely agree with what RSPB said on previous post comment, we could take a few protest signs to the Oct. 1 "fling" and that could send a message to City staff, who have gotten way too big for their britches if they think they can bring something like the B St. name change forward at the suggestion of Chris Hazeltin (who went on freebie Japan Junket, too, with Bossy Guerin) who is an appointed (by Guerin) Parks and Rec commissioner. What pull does Chris H. have? No, Guerin was behind this, and she will be behind trying to foist some new City Manager on us. Some say if Bilbray doesn't get elected again, Guerin will try to get a staff position with Encinitas! Maybe she should go be a jail guard again.
Phil Cotton will probably be the interim City Manager. Guerin set him up for that. We don't know much about him, but would like to see his resume, too, if he wants to work for us.
As for the permanent City Manager, we think that decision should definitely come after the election, after Guerin is out, hopefully, Dalager, too.
Richard Phillips seems okay, and I have spoken to him. What are his qualifications? Could he be an interim City Manager?
ReplyDeleteWould he want to be? That was the trouble South Lake Tahoe was having; the interim city manager, who had been the assistant, did not want the job. And no one else did, either, because of the mess that Kerry Miller left.
I say good riddance, too, to Miller. We do believe in miracles, so we remain hopeful for a big shift.
Word has it that Aceti is going with him and departing on the same day.
ReplyDeleteNot because he wants to, but because his nose is connected to Kerry's ass and can't be surically removed by October 15th
J.P.
ReplyDeleteHearty congratulations on breaking the news first.
The power of the internet has been apparent on this blog regarding public opinion on issues and now, breaking news before the ink is dry, )before the ink is applied is more accurate) on newsprint.
The give and take is greaton and I'm seeing less vicious personal attacks which is good.
A big service to Encinitas,
J.P. for city manager.
...idea for protest signs:
ReplyDelete" NO DOMO!! "
Rumors of Miller's departure have been denied by him since May.
ReplyDeleteHey, it got him a free (and paid)vacation to Japan.
Nice work Kerry.
Love the Aceti post. Bad visual but very funny.
ReplyDeleteNothing against Folsom, I've never been there, but why would you move from Encinitas to Folsom? Who goes to Folsom voluntarily?
ReplyDeleteSweet, Folsom's sister city in Crespano del Grappa in Italy. Kerry gets to milk another stamp on his passport. Cio Mr. Miller.
ReplyDeleteJ.P.: This is a great post. You scooped everyone. I'm normally not a spelling policeman, but it's ciao. Or is it chow, tschau, or chao? It's goodbye (or is it goodby?) no matter how you spell it.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I get for ragging on somebody's spelling just the other day, ha-ha.
ReplyDeleteJP send a link to this blog to the folks in Folsom. Have them read it from day one. Just so they can see what they are in for. Are city managers like baseball managers? No matter how bad they are the same guys just keep switching teams.
ReplyDeleteIs it true Miller's ex wife shot him?
ReplyDeleteBefore Kerry Miller became the city manager of Sanger, he was the assistant to the city manager of Las Vegas.
ReplyDeleteDid Kerry Miller receive a city loan?
ReplyDeleteWhen Kerry Miller first signed with the city of Encinitas, he may have received a city loan of up to $100,000 from the city to help with buying a house. If he left city employment, the city loan would have to be paid within six months of the separation date.
If Kerry Miller received a city loan, how much was it? How much is left on the city loan? How is the city handling the payback of the loan?
kerry miller encinitas
ReplyDeleteI miss the Reno sign.
ReplyDeleteSome comments from various Folsomites...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tomatopages.com/folsomforum/index.php?showtopic=9962
While I don't disagree Encinitas is a beautiful city (and I don't think I'd turn down a home there), anyone that has visited Folsom would agree it is a gem. Folsom Prison is what made it famous, but the area is beautiful and a great place to live (the prison is really a non-part of the city, Folsom is definitely an affluent community). If you are ever in the Sacramento area, stop for a couple of days in Folsom, there's lots to do!