TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
BY: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
DATE: July 26, 2024
SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL CONCURRENCE
ON THE CITY MANAGER'S SELECTION FOR FINANCE
DIRECTOR AND APPOINTMENT AS INTERIM TREASURER
STRATEGIC PLAN CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Efficient, Responsive, and Effective City Services
Fiscally Responsible and Transparent City Government
BACKGROUND
Sections 02.03.04, 02.03.07, and 02.04.02 of the San Marino Municipal Code (SMMC) authorize the City Manager to appoint and remove department heads from office, with the concurrence of the City Council. Specifically, SMMC §
02.04.02(B) states, “All department heads shall be ‘at will employees,’ serving at the pleasure of the City Manager. The hiring or discharge of department heads shall be subject to concurrence by the Council…” On November 8, 2017, the City Council confirmed its desire to continue this practice.
Additionally, SMMC § 02.04.06 authorizes the City Council to appoint an individual to serve as the City Treasurer. The City’s current Treasurer, Annie Han, whose term runs through October 31, 2025, has informed the City that she intends to resign from her post effective August 5th in order to allow her more time to support her family in the coming months. As such, it is necessary for the City Council to appoint an Interim Treasurer while staff conduct a recruitment to appoint a permanent Treasurer to complete the remainder of the term.
Steven W. Huang, DDS, Mayor
Gretchen Shepherd Romey, Vice Mayor
Tony Chou, Council Member
Calvin Lo, Council Member
Steve Talt, Council Member
DISCUSSION
The City’s former Finance Director left the City in December 2023 for a similar role with the City of El Segundo. At that time, the Human Resources Department was actively recruiting for an Analyst, and as such the Department comprised of only one staff member, the Director. With the wide range of responsibilities within the Human Resources Director’s purview including citywide risk management, and the many other ongoing recruitments being conducted, the assistance of an outside recruitment firm for the Finance Director position was necessary to maintain current operational efficiencies.
Retaining a recruiting firm would allow the City the best opportunity to obtain the most appropriate and qualified candidates for San Marino’s needs. As such, the City Manager solicited proposals from recruiting firms to carry out this recruitment. Following several proposals, Bob Murray & Associates was retained to conduct the executive recruitment.
A nationwide search was conducted that yielded a total of 30 applicants for the position. Following several rounds of interviews, one candidate rose to the top and stood out amongst them as an ideal fit for the City of San Marino, Ms.
Hillary Guirola-Leon.
Ms. Guirola-Leon will be coming to the City from the City of Sierra Madre where she has been since 2017 and rose through the ranks to her current position of Finance Director which she has held for the past 4 years. Prior to her work in Sierra Madre, Hillary served as an auditor with a private firm working with various public and private clients. Additionally, Ms. Guirola-Leon is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
Ms. Guirola-Leon has completed and passed all the necessary background checks and with the City Council’s concurrence, will begin with the City as of August 5th.
Additionally, due to the impending mid-term departure of Treasurer Han, staff are recommending that Ms. Guirola-Leon also be appointed to the role of Interim Treasurer while staff conduct a recruitment to appoint a permanent Treasurer to complete the remainder of the term. This will allow the responsibilities of the Treasurer to continue without interruption as the recruitment process moves forward.
FISCAL IMPACT & PROCUREMENT REVIEW
No additional appropriations are necessary for these recommendations. The position of Finance Director is already budgeted for in the FY 2024-25 budget.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed this report and approved it as to form.
RECOMMENDATION
If the City Council concurs with staff’s recommendation, an appropriate motion would be:
“I move that the City Council: (1) concur with the City Manager’s hiring of Hillary Guirola-Leon as Finance Director; and (2) appoint Hillary Guirola-Leon as the City’s Interim Treasurer.”
ATTACHMENTS
None.