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Arroyo Grande appoints Bill Robeson interim city manager

July 27, 2023

Bill Robeson

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Arroyo Grande Assistant City Manager Bill Robeson will next week, on an interim basis, take over the job as the city’s top executive. 

Current City Manager Whitney McDonald is leaving Arroyo Grande to become the assistant city manager of San Luis Obispo. In the aftermath of her announcement, on Tuesday, the Arroyo Grande City Council appointed Robeson as interim city manager.

“The city is grateful for Ms. McDonalds’s commitment, leadership and contributions to our community, as well as her impact on city staff and developing the city into an inclusive work culture,” the city of Arroyo Grande said in a statement. “We wish her and her family the very best.”

Robeson, who also currently serves as Arroyo Grande’s public works director, will assume the role of interim city manager on Aug. 1. Robeson has nearly 30 years of public service experience, including 23 years with San Luis Obispo County, where he served as Deputy Director of the Planning and Building Department. 

The city of Arroyo Grande appointed Robeson as assistant city manager in Sept. 2020.


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And this is the problem….the salaries and pensions are huge and out of proportion to regular tax paying citizens…so they are cutting back on parks and rec activities….can’t pay for essential services like fixing roads, and fire….


13

Though the city should have discussed this for some time, now is the perfect time for the city coucil to serious ask does a city the city of AG really need an assistant city manager? This would show us the council is serious about addressing the budget problems in the city. Along with the city’s financial issues now, the savings of not filling the assistant manager position could be allocated to infrastructure or other more important budget items. Maybe sometime far in the future the city may need an assistant city manager but not now.


10

This is a statewide problem. Counties playing “we can do that too!” It has been a problem since 1999 when the “Dot Com” boom made some people stupid rich and state bureaucrats declared “We want that too” and off they went. The problem of course, is that “dot com” wealth went bye-bye while the bill for bureaucrats has to be paid by middle-class taxpayers. Go to http://www.transparentcalifornia.com and look at cities, look at the abuse. Also remember that decisions about salaries and pensions are made by the County Supervisor’s. So why does a big spender like Gibson keep getting re-elected? There is the source of the problem.


3

We, taxpayers, are SURE he is worth every penny of his

$312,000 annual salary package as Assistant City Manager.


6

Hi Neighbor Bill. Nice to see you’re getting a nice job :)


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