Tina White is new Poway city manager
An experienced City Hall employee has been hired as Poway’s new city manager.
Tina White, the assistant city manager for the past six years, was awarded the top administrative post at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. She has been serving as acting city manager since the resignation of Dan Singer. His last day in the office was July 21.
White was the only candidate for the job.
“There is no one anywhere more respected or qualified to be Poway’s city manager,” Mayor Steve Vaus said. “Between her experience, knowledge of the city and understanding of the council’s priorities and personalities, Tina is the perfect fit.”
“This is the best news that has happened in Poway in a long time,” added Councilman John Mullin.
White, 52, has more than 25 years of local government experience, including 14 years with the city. She was the director of administrative services when she left in June 2009 for a similar position at a local water district. She returned to Poway eight months later as the assistant city manager. Her career began in 1984 with the City of El Cajon, where she worked first in the police department and later in the city attorney’s office while attending San Diego State University. She then worked five years for the private law firm that represents Imperial Beach, Poway and other cities before coming to Poway as a management analyst in the city manager’s office.
As city manager, White has a three-year contract with a base salary of $236,280 per year - the same that Singer was making. (The council has long-standing philosophy of paying employees near the bottom of the upper one-third of comparable cities in the county.) White will also receive an annual automobile allowance of $7,600, another $16,200 annually in a 457 deferred compensation plan plus another $6,000 annually in a 401(a) deferred compensation plan. The city will also pay into her Public Agency Retirement System supplemental retirement fund, as it does of all top managers in the city.
A staff report said that Singer was not eligible for participation in PARS and that no moving or housing expenses are necessary for White, who lives in Lakeside.
Not everyone in the council chambers praised the hiring. City Council candidate Jonathan Ryan was critical of the fact that no other candidates were considered for the post and called the promotion of the assistant city manager “the worst kind of cronyism.” His remarks drew scattered boos from several audience members.
White becomes the fifth city manager since Poway was incorporated in 1980. Jim Bowersox served for 25 years before retiring. He was followed by Rod Gould, Penny Riley and Singer.
