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Katie Lichtig resigning as SLO city manager

August 7, 2017

Following more than 7.5 years at the helm of San Luis Obispo’s city government, Katie Lichtig is departing the Central Coast for an executive role in Santa Monica.

The city of SLO announced in a press release that Lichtig has been hired as chief operating officer/assistant city manager of Santa Monica. In 1992, Lichtig began her municipal career in Santa Monica, a city that now has a budget of nearly $775 million and 2,300 full-time staffers.

It is unclear why exactly Lichtig is choosing to leave San Luis Obispo and return to Santa Monica. Lichtig’s last working day in San Luis Obispo will be Sept. 28

“I have cherished my time serving the San Luis Obispo community. Together we have solved the problems of today, envisioned a bright future and created life-long friendships,” Lichtig said in a statement.

Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole, who selected Lichtig from a nationwide field of candidates, released a statement commending her.

“I sought out Katie because I knew about her achievements and skills in our profession,” Cole said. “After a rigorous process with stiff competition Katie rose to the top.”

Lichtig’s tenure in San Luis Obispo, however, has included several controversies ranging from the amount of money she makes to her appearance in a raunchy video.

Since her hire, numerous residents have complained about Lichtig’s pay, which regularly exceeded $300,000 a year. In 2016, Lichtig received a base salary of more than $230,000 and nearly $338,000 in total pay, according to Transparent California.

San Luis Obispo’s staffing and pension costs also rose considerably during Lichtig’s tenure as city manager, culminating with the city facing multi-million dollar budget shortfalls following a decision by CalPERS, the state retirement system, to lower investment its forecast.

Also recently, Lichtig was fined over her participation in a video that allegedly sexually objectified firefighters. The video was intended as a spoof to promote the SLO Chamber of Commerce, yet it resulted in Lichtig receiving a $2,659 fine and SLO Fire Chief Garret Olson getting fined $5,442.

Lichtig will start work in Santa Monica shortly after leaving San Luis Obispo in late September.


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It’s time for the local citizens of our local communities to initiate oversight committees to monitor the give away packages that these government employees give themselves. In reality, what most people don’t know, is that these city managers write their own employment contracts and benefit packages and then present it to city councils who just approve them with no questions asked.

Why do these people need additional lucrative retirement programs on top of the lucrative PERS retirement packages that come with the job? $600 a month car allowances? At the government rate that’s 1132 miles a month. Where are they going? Just a nice way to finance a new car.

This is an opportunity for the citizens to stand up and say enough is enough and make them come up front and out of the back room deals.


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It could happen, if enough people got fed up enough and organized. Not that I’m volunteering. The idea of citizens taking back their government and getting it to serve citizens, instead of riding on their backs, taking in excess of 70% of all money earned in taxes is quaint and appealing.


The very idea of this happening here in SLO might even sell a successful movie franchise, a la Hunger Games meets Erin Brockavich. Fed up, salt of the earth folks take back their town and run the crooks off to jail! That sounds nice.


But in real life the next city manager will be more of the same A city manager from another town will move here and cash a few checks and then move on to the next one. The only real difference will be that the next manager makes more, takes more and leaves less than this one.


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And don’t forget that the city will probably pick up the moving tab and provide a home loan package at a next to nothing interest rate. The school district it why not the city?


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I don’t understand if you want a better life you just have to do what Katie did…..she worked for it.


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I am a government employee and I do not ride on anyone’s back. Clearly, you have never been a public employee. Maybe one day you can be in their shoes and realize how you’re wrong.


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Clearly, you don’t know many government employees are you would know that very few government employees are well paid. Unlike private sector employees, they get paid badly to be treated poorly by a clearly misinformed community. I wonder what would happen if all the government employees just took the day off?


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Seven and 1/2 years too late, but at least she is leaving. Now we can hope our city council finds a local person to fill the position.


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SLO, bend over and grab your ankles, this isn’t going to hurt a bit.


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Given the salaries of many in SLO city government and the benefits, pensions, raises, lack of work done, and crimes they commit and get away with, the taxpaying residents are in a permanent bent over state.


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Many city employees are not well paid nor are they criminals.


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DocT Now just calm down DocT! We still Adam Hill around to save us! Maybe Dee Torres is available? How about Corey Pierce? Is he out of prison yet? We could beg Steve Gesell to come back become the King of San Luis Obispo!


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The next city manager will make even more. We can’t live without these people. Can’t even…..just can’t even…..services…nice place to live….we NEED people like this or we just can’t live.


I’m having a panic attack just thinking about walking downtown and there not being a city manager who makes a ton of money managing.


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The city manager’s job is a very difficult job. It’s too bad that you only want to criticize and talk smack about others instead up standing up and doing something constructive.


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“Departing the Central Coast”? How can she depart when she’s not here in the first place!?! She lives in Malibu Canyon and is here maybe once a week! Careful, Katie, don’t let the door hit you in the ass! Gee,I wish I had a PhD in Rocket Science so I could be City Manager!


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You know that how? Funny I actually ran into her numerous times during the week. Again it’s so easy to be a coward and attack people and not take responsibility for your misinformation or just out right lies. It’s really sad that people are so jealous and hateful.


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Wow, this Cole guy from Santa Monica is a real piece of work.


Reminds me of what my dad used to say, “It’s better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you’re an ass, than to open your mouth and prove it.”


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A classic example of what ails California. Over paid bureaucrats making cities compete for over paid bureaucrats. It’s time to eliminate these positions and set much, much lower pay scales. Bring things down to Earth, give taxpayers a break.


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I wonder if they should just leave this position unfilled?


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