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Katie Lichtig hired as Morro Bay’s interim finance director

December 21, 2020

Katie Lichtig

By KAREN VELIE

The city of Morro Bay has hired a familiar face to serve as its interim finance director. In November, former San Luis Obispo city manager Katie Lichtig joined Morro Bay’s management team.

Lichtig’s 12-month agreement commenced on Nov. 2 and runs through Nov. 1, 2021. The city contracted to pay Lichtig a flat hourly salary of $67.09, for 40 hours a week, with no other benefits.

In October, Morro Bay’s former finance director Jennifer Callaway left to serve as the city manager of Truckee, Calif.

Lichtig served more than 7.5 years at the helm of San Luis Obispo’s city government. She left the city of SLO in 2017 after Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole selected her as his assistant city manager and chief operating officer.

In late 2019, shortly before Cole announced his resignation, a city resident launched an online petition calling for the firing of both Cole and Lichtig. The petition, which garnered nearly 2,900 signatures, alleged Cole and Lichtig were abusing their power during the pandemic and blaming the crisis for the city’s already dire financial situation.

The individual who launched the petition, a man identifying as Sir Santa Monica Steve, responded to Cole’s resignation by saying it was a success but Lichtig still needed to be terminated immediately.

“We have won this battle but still have work to do. Katie Lichtig is still employed and budget cuts are looming,” the person behind the petition wrote. “I think we can all agree how essential it is to have trustworthy, ethical leaders at the city’s helm, and Rick Cole and Katie Lichtig do not meet that standard.”

In January, the 58-year-old Lichtig announced she would retire on April 9. However, because of the coronavirus, she delayed her retirement by nearly two months.

As a result, Lichtig is now double dipping; receiving a public pension while paid to work another government job.


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This county is beyond f*cked up.


25

a true snake


21

Can’t we ever get rid of her? Sure she’s back, to pull the strings of her lackey at SLO city hall.


18

Wow, so Litchig is back to take over and destroy the unions in Morro Bay. She destroyed employee morale in Malibu, Beverly Hills, San Luis Obispo, Santa Monica and will do the same in Morro Bay. As she destroyed employee morale the incidents of employee theft, employee misconduct and employee flight went through the roof. At each of the Cities she has been at following her tyrannical leadership the next idiot in charge has to give employees huge raises, other perks and ignore employee misconduct for years to mend the fences. She is truly a horrible individual and lousy leader.


26

The council had to work VERY hard to top their sewer plant finance debacle, top their plant site soil collapse, top their costly unbuilt feeder line mess, but God bless ’em, they persevered and found a bigger disaster !


26

Katie is setting a good example for those who want to learn. Put on your best smile and put your talents to work. Her pay in Morro Bay is less than hiring an experienced plumber, most trades and the guy that vacuums your septic tank does much better.


-43

I don’t know many plumbers making $10,000 a week, 75% for doing absolutely nothing. I also don’t know many septic tank guys that are pumping 40 hrs a week. Try again.


15

Thanks you wonderful lovely progressive rich folk for making life more difficult for us poor. You have done such a great job. I can’t wait to sleep in the bushes and collect a check for my daily bottle of booze. Enjoy Pensioners!


43

That’s $139,547 for the 12-month contract. She should be able to afford Covered California OK.


37

Wow, that’s quite the pay cut from her fatcat $388,789 salary in Santa Monica. Aren’t there any younger cheaper bean counters that would love to work in Morro Bay as finance director? Especially with everyone going remote now, you could hire someone anywhere in the country and they wouldn’t even have to move!


Honestly, I don’t know why she just doesn’t stay retired and collect that pension. Does she really need even more of our taxpayer money to live off?


42

Wonder if she has the same smile when she’s at the bank cashing her double dips.


50

Let’s hope that SLO doesn’t hire her when her stint it up in Morro Bay !


65

This council? You bet they will. She had them eating out of her hand.


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