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Pleasanton City Manager Gerry Beaudin has officially confirmed his departure from the city of Pleasanton, following the Alameda City Council unanimously approving an employment agreement with him for the same position Tuesday night.
In an email sent to all Pleasanton city employees on Wednesday morning, Beaudin expressed his gratitude for the last four years serving as the city’s top executive and for all of the accomplishments he and his staff were able to realize.
“Thank you for the honor of leading this organization and for the opportunity to work with all of you,” Beaudin said.
“My decision to leave as City Manager was complicated because I care deeply about the people I work with and the Pleasanton community — we have done important work over the last 4 years, and I truly appreciate the partnership,” Beaudin added. “I am particularly proud of the proactive, innovative, and impactful approach that has allowed us to reposition the city and community for a brighter future.”
His last day on the job in Pleasanton is scheduled to be June 5.
“I’m grateful for City Manager Beaudin’s service to the City of Pleasanton,” Pleasanton Mayor Jack Balch told the Pleasanton Weekly on Wednesday morning. “We wish him continued success as he begins this next chapter with the City of Alameda.”
Beaudin was first appointed as Pleasanton’s city manager in May 2022. He had previously served as Pleasanton’s community development director from 2015 to 2019 before leaving for a job as Alameda’s assistant city manager — a title he held during 2019 to 2022.
Now, after a months-long recruitment process by the city of Alameda that began in December, Beaudin will replace Interim City Manager Adam Politzer, the former Sausalito city manager who has led Alameda on a temporary basis following Jennifer Ott’s departure in December.
The Alameda City Council first announced Beaudin as its finalist for permanent city manager on April 9 and was supposed to finalize his contract during its April 21 meeting. However, the vote was postponed after one of the Alameda council members was informed of new information for the council to consider — the nature of which was not declared publicly.
After discussing the city manager position during its closed-session meeting on Tuesday, the Alameda City Council reconvened during its regular meeting to vote on his employment agreement, which it approved with some slight changes.
The first was an amendment to the deferred compensation section where instead of the city having to contribute “the equivalent of 3% of his base salary annually” — if he chooses to participate in the city’s deferred compensation plan — Alameda will instead offer him a 1% contribution. This change comes with an understanding that the city will review this section of his agreement during Beaudin’s first annual evaluation.
Under the evaluations section, the council removed the word “facilitated” from the line talking about how the council will participate in formal performance evaluations in order to “allow the city council continued discretion in how to conduct evaluations”, according to Alameda Vice Mayor Michele Pryor.
Lastly, the council reduced Beaudin’s automobile allowance from $550 per month to $400.
Councilmember Tony Daysog said he initially had concerns regarding the section of Beaudin’s agreement that stated, “At no time will Beaudin’s salary be less than 5% above the salary for any member of the Executive Management Compensation Plan.”
However, he acknowledged that was only one section from the entire employment agreement that he did not fully agree with and that he was fine setting those concerns aside if it meant being able to hire someone as experienced and capable for the job as Beaudin.
“I think for that reason, it’s important that I set aside my concern about that one element of the contract and make sure to welcome our new city manager with open arms,” Daysog said.
In addition to being closer to his home in Oakland, Beaudin is receiving a nearly $40,000 salary bump at the city of Alameda, putting his total salary at a little over $383,100. The agreement also includes a 12-month severance package and other benefits including health insurance, leave accrual and holiday pay.
