Morro Bay City manager likely to stay in Morro Bay

January 29, 2017

Morro Bay City Manager David Buckingham was among five finalists for the city manager position in Whitefish, Montana. However, the Whitefish City Council did not select Buckingham.

In December, Buckingham applied for the job in the Montana city of approximately 7,000 people. Buckingham began working

in Morro Bay in Sept. 2014, shortly after completing a career in the United States Army.

Buckingham applied for the position of city manager in Whitefish, Montana after several Morro Bay Council candidates ran on a platform of getting rid of him. Neither of Buckingham’s detractors won a seat on the council.

Even so, Buckingham said it would have been irresponsible of him as a father and husband to not consider alternatives and take preparatory measures. He called the Montana job a “fantastic opportunity in beautiful, wonderful Whitefish.”

However, Buckingham also said he and his family love the Central Coast, and he would be quite happy serving Morro Bay for the next five to 15 years.

In 2015, Buckingham received $160,062 in salary and $193,957 in total pay and benefits, according to the Transparent California database.