Novato’s interim city manager poised for promotion

Novato’s interim city manager since December has been selected for a longer-term appointment.

Amy Cunningham will be the city’s fourth city manager in the last 10 years after clearing a City Council vote on Tuesday.

Mayor Mark Milberg said Cunningham was one of 37 applicants. Eight were selected for follow-up interviews, he said.

“We have a lot of faith in Amy,” Milberg said. “She’s been waiting for the right opportunity and this is it. This is the right time and she is the right person.”

Cunningham’s prior jobs in Novato include finance director and deputy city manager.

Cunningham said she feels well positioned to take on the job as the city zeroes in on balancing its budget and limiting staff turnover.

“I’ve been with the City for just over 4 years,” Cunningham wrote in an email. “During that time, I’ve had the opportunity to learn about the organization, how we operate, and our strengths and challenges. With this understanding, I can quickly identify ways to deliver services as efficiently as possible and shift our limited resources where needed to address the community’s needs and priorities.”

Cunningham will start the job on Wednesday if confirmed by the council. The starting annual base salary is $285,701.

The prior city manager, former police chief Adam McGill, resigned in November with a year left on his five-year contract. Neither he nor the city provided an explanation for his sudden departure.

He was preceded by Regan Candelario, who was suddenly dismissed in 2019 after holding the job for three years. Before that, Michael Frank held the job from 2009 to 2016.

Cunningham’s appointment comes amid years of budget problems. The city is projecting a $2.6 million deficit this fiscal year.

“For several years, the City Council has been concerned about the City’s fiscal challenges and the impact of staff turnover on service delivery,” she said in the email. “My in-depth understanding of the City’s finances and community’s priorities will be important as we continue focusing on solutions to address the ongoing deficits and achieve the Council’s goal to preserve existing services and address the growing infrastructure needs.”

The recruitment process included a nationwide search, panel interviews with city officials and comments from a 10-member community panel and other residents, the city said.

Milberg lauded Cunningham’s efforts to bring transparency to city finances and her efforts to engage the public on issues.

“She’s going to come into her own in how she wants to lead,” he said. “She has a purposefulness to her and an intentional way of leading that I find to be very impressive. The city is moving in the right direction. There’s an element that hasn’t been there awhile.”

Cheryl Paddack, chief executive officer of North Marin Community Services, lauded Cunningham’s appointment as a glass-ceiling moment.

“In these complex economic, financial and social circumstances, a female-led municipal administration promises diverse and innovative viewpoints, fostering inclusive leadership at every community engagement,” Paddack said.

Cunningham joined the city as finance director in 2020. She previously worked in various administrative posts for Half Moon Bay, Walnut Creek, Moraga and Dublin.

Cunningham holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Hayward, now called CSU East Bay.

Cunningham has also served on the board of the Municipal Management Association of Northern California and as co-chair of the Preparing the Next Generation initiative for the International City/County Management Association’s state affiliate.