The San Bernardino Mayor and City Council unanimously approved Resolution 2025-247 on Feb. 26, 2025, appointing Mr. Gallardo as interim city manager and amending the resolution so his official start date is contingent on certification from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS).

The council voted to correct the city manager vacancy date to May 20, 2024, and to revise the resolution so Mr. Gallardo’s employment would be effective only upon CalPERS notification that required paperwork is complete. Council members voted “yes” on the motion as amended; the motion passed unanimously.

The changes followed a staff clarification that the vacancy date should reflect the last day the prior city manager was on payroll. Human resources staff identified the correct vacancy date during the meeting and the council incorporated that correction into the adopted resolution.

Mr. Gallardo addressed the council before the vote, saying he accepted the interim role “with enthusiasm and with purpose” and that he expected to start once CalPERS cleared the paperwork. He introduced family members who were in the audience and said he retired in December from the city of Brea and views the interim role as a way to "give back" to the community.

Members of the public urged the council to set clear expectations for the interim manager and to avoid a repeat of recent turnover. Kimberly Calvin, a resident who spoke during public comment, said the city has gone through multiple city managers in a short time and urged the council to give the interim manager a public set of expectations. Al Palazzo and Christian Shaughnessy also offered brief remarks welcoming the appointee.

Council discussion also addressed related administrative items. Council member Ortiz asked staff to ensure the resolution and supporting documents submitted to CalPERS reflect the corrected vacancy date and clear start conditions. The council agreed to amend the resolution language so that the start is "upon certification" by CalPERS rather than an immediate effective date.

Separately, the council discussed a contract on the consent calendar (identified as item 3) that originally did not explicitly reference coordination with the city manager. Council member Ortiz asked that language tying the consultant to city staff and the city manager be added for clarity; staff and the consultant confirmed they would work with city staff and the city attorney on labor negotiations. The council approved that item with the clarified language by unanimous vote.

Finance and human-resources officials also briefed the council on temporary adjustments to signature authority. Interim Finance Director Jeannie Fortune said the administration added backup signing authorities in recent years to ensure payroll and vendor checks could be processed during frequent leadership turnover; she told the council the change was to maintain continuity and comply with banking requirements that often require multiple signers.

After the vote on the interim appointment and related items, the council recessed into closed session; the city attorney later reported there was no reportable action from closed session. The council adjourned at 7:24 p.m. and scheduled its next regular joint meeting for March 5, 2025, at the Feldheim Central Library.