Redding council to open recruitment for a new city manager

The Redding City Council voted in a special meeting yesterday to enter an agreement with a consultant to recruit the next city manager. It’s a plan met with mixed opinions by council members, as some said they feel interim City Manager Michael Webb should be offered the role.

Since the vote was held in closed session, it’s not publicly known how each council member voted, only that a “majority” of the council approved the decision. 

Ralph Anderson & Associates will lead recruitment efforts, City Clerk Sharlene Tipton confirmed today. The Rocklin-based recruiter helped place Oakland’s chief of police and Fresno’s city clerk, among other placements, according to its website.

It took approximately three months for the city to recruit late City Manager William Tarbox after former City Manager Barry Tippin retired last October, and Tarbox didn’t start his role until two months after he was selected. If the recruiting, hiring and onboarding process is similar to last time, a new city manager likely won’t start until early 2027. 

After Tarbox’s unexpected death in July, Assistant City Manager and Public Works Director Michael Webb was promoted to serve in the city manager role for the interim until the city found a permanent replacement. Since then, he’s retained all three leadership positions. 

At least two council members think Webb is a good fit for the permanent city manager role. Redding Mayor Mike Littau told Shasta Scout this morning that time is of the essence, and Webb “looks like the guy of the most knowledge that can do this ‘right now,’ not waiting five to seven months for [a city manager] to get here.” 

He explained that he doesn’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars on recruitment, adding that an external city manager may negotiate a salary that’s higher than the current offer of $295,000. 

Council member Jack Munns also told Shasta Scout this morning that he feels Webb is doing well as the interim city manager and believes he’ll be in the running for the permanent position. 

The city manager recruitment announcement comes as the city searches for several other top positions, including police chief, fire chief, finance director and city attorney. Even the council could face a major shift after November’s election, as three out of five of its seats are on the ballot. The city is also facing significant financial challenges, and the council may make major changes to city funds and processes in the coming months after feedback from Circle 6 Consulting’s report. 

In an email to a reporter today, Council member Paul Dhanuka repeated a statement he made yesterday on Facebook, saying he feels opening the recruitment process will help the city “consider all options, gather diverse perspectives, analyze information thoughtfully, and engage in civil debate.” 

“Our city works best when we follow a clear, consistent process rather than relying on personal opinion or preference,” he said. 

Council members Tenessa Audette and Erin Resner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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