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Livermore will have a new city manager later this spring, with the City Council on Monday formally approving the contract to hire Marianna Marysheva, a high-ranking city administrator in Orange County.
Marysheva, who completed her secondary education in the Bay Area and worked two different stints in Oakland city administration, has been employed by the city of Irvine since July 2018 — primarily in her current role of assistant city manager, bookending a year-plus run as interim city manager until last December.
She will start the position in Livermore on May 16 and work alongside retiring City Manager Marc Roberts in a transition-of-power period before officially taking the reins herself on June 4.
Marysheva said she is “both honored and excited” to be chosen as the next city manager.
“Livermore is truly a remarkable community, forward-thinking and strategically focused, with an exceptional quality of life made possible by close collaborations across organizational lines,” she said in a statement released by the city late Monday night after the council vote.
“I look forward to working with the mayor and City Council, the leadership team and city staff, our residential and business community, and our many partners to continue building on Livermore’s strong foundation of success,” she added. “My 12-year-old children and I are excited to move to Livermore very soon, and to be personally engaged in the community.”
Her initial contract runs for five years, with a starting annual salary of $305,000. She will receive health and other benefits in line with other city department heads, and she is eligible for up to $45,000 in compensation related to securing a permanent residence in Livermore, if she chooses to live within the city limits.
“This was a carefully considered recruitment process,” Mayor Bob Woerner said. “We were fortunate to have many good candidates to choose from but were especially impressed with Marianna’s outstanding credentials and extensive municipal experience in communities both larger and smaller than ours.”
“We have many important initiatives underway in Livermore and with Marianna’s expertise and unique set of qualifications, we will seamlessly continue to make progress,” the mayor added. “We are very excited about this decision, believe Marianna is the right person for this job, and look forward to working with her to best serve the Livermore community.”
Marysheva climbed to the top of the Livermore council’s search that began soon after Roberts announced in December his upcoming retirement from public employment after 10 years as city manager.
“The City Council appreciates Marc Roberts for the many years of service he has dedicated to our community. He set the bar very high as far as city managers go,” Woerner said. Roberts’ final day on the job will be June 3.
The council, supported by consultant firm Bob Murray and Associates, conducted a nationwide search for Roberts’ successor that yielded 27 applicants, 13 of whom were deemed to be qualified candidates, according to the staff report from human resource manager Nancy Dias.
Livermore officials narrowed the list down to six top candidates before selecting Marysheva as their finalist and offering her the position. She was also shortlisted in the new city manager search in Fort Collins, Colo., earlier this spring, according to that city’s website.
Her prior career experience includes working as assistant city manager of Riverside, town manager of Mammoth Lakes and two stints with the city of Oakland (as budget director from 2001 to 2005, appointed by then-mayor Jerry Brown, and as assistant city administrator from 2008 to 2011).
Marysheva earned a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from San Francisco State University and a master’s in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
Livermore leaders lauded Marysheva’s accomplishments in Irvine as assistant city manager, as well as interim city manager from September 2020 until last December.
“While in Irvine, she contributed to the city’s progress on environmental matters and active transportation, housing development and General Plan update; developed communication campaigns and community outreach initiatives to reach under-represented residents and businesses; and worked in collaboration with multiple partners on mental health, homelessness prevention, economic development, community engagement and quality of life matters,” Livermore officials said.
The employment contract with Marysheva stipulates an initial term of five years, with an annual base salary in the first year of $305,000. She will receive health and retirement benefits in line with other city department heads, as well as a monthly car allowance of $550.
The city will pay up to $15,000 for her moving expenses to relocate from Irvine to Livermore, provided she chooses a home within the city limits. Marysheva will also be entitled to up to six months ($25,000 maximum) for temporary accommodations until she finds a permanent home, as well as a maximum of $5,000 to cover two house hunting trips for herself and her two children.
Marysheva will accrue 192.4 hours of vacation annually, as well as receive 80 hours of vacation upon her hiring date. The city will also cover all relevant costs for her membership in professional organizations.
She will be subject to annual performance evaluations by the council each October.
I should have gotten into city management. The pay and benefits are ridiculous.
How much exactly do you think city managers should be paid for running a corporation around the clock? If anything, city managers are far underpaid for what they do.