For third time in 2 years, a Long Beach city manager steps down

Long Beach Acting City Manager John Mirando notified the City Council he is stepping down from the city’s top post, officials said.

Mirando told City Council members Monday that he would be returning to his public works commissioner post March 9, ahead of the city’s budget negotiations. 

He was appointed in September as the third acting city manager since former City Manager Jack Schnirman took office as Nassau County comptroller in 2018.

Mirando said he notified his staff and the council Monday that he was returning to public works.

“It’s clear they’re bringing in a new city manager,” he said. “We’re parting amicably. I have the best interest of Long Beach at heart.”

Mirando said it would be unfair to the next city manager to oversee the 2020-21 proposed budget. He said he also needs to focus his time on the city’s capital budget and several public works projects and infrastructure.

Long Beach City Council members did not respond to requests for comment on plans to fill Mirando’s vacancy.

City officials have contacted Donna M. Gayden, the interim finance director of Country Club Hills, Illinois, about possibly working for Long Beach, Gayden said in an interview last week. She previously served as a town finance director for five months and as a village administrator for 10 months.

“When a municipality is having financial trouble, I try to go help them,” Gayden said. “I’m looking at more information about Long Beach.”

At the time Mirando was appointed, he asked to be considered for the full-time post, but council members said the search for the next city manager is ongoing.

City Council members had a public hearing last week on a charter amendment that would strip the city manager of hiring and firing powers and give those duties to the council to select the executive management team and department commissioners.

Mirando had said he would support the council’s objectives.

Officials said the city manager will still work as the city's senior executive to run day-to-day operations and report back to the council.

The next city manager will be tasked with developing the city’s new budget, which must be submitted to the council by April 10 and approved by the council by June 1.

The city has operated under years of unbalanced budgets and a reliance on state and federal grants following superstorm Sandy that masked the city’s deficits. 

A federal grand jury and the Nassau County district attorney’s office are investigating $750,000 in payouts made to about a dozen current and former employees at the end of 2017.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.