Andrew Murray appointed as Vallejo city manager

VALLEJO – The Vallejo City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to confirm the appointment of former Pinole City Manager Andrew Murray as Vallejo’s next permanent city manager. 

Murray will begin work Monday, May 20, for an initial term of 24 months with an annual salary of $303,000. 

Murray’s appointment went smoothly and quickly, with no discussion among council or objections from the public. 

Discussion on topics at Tuesday’s city council meeting highlighted Vallejo’s need for steady leadership.

The consent calendar portion of the meeting began with Councilmember Peter Bregenzer, District 5, lambasting a staff decision to purchase a modular building for the temporary emergency dispatch center without council’s approval. 

A later agenda item that recommended spending over $4 million dollars of Measure P funds to help cover a $6.1 million dollar shortfall for a supportive housing project in North Vallejo drew both the council and the public’s wrath.

Mayor Robert McConnell thanked Murray for his interest in the position “We know it’s a challenging position,” he said. “The city has many, many difficult issues. We are looking forward to seeing you be very active in our community and we all hope and pray for a wonderful outcome.”

Murray has served in various capacities in municipalities such as San Francisco, Oakland, and Pleasant Hill, most recently as city manager of Pinole and interim public works director in Berkeley.

Murray holds bachelor's and master's degrees from UC Davis in environmental policy, business administration, and applied economics. 

According to Murray’s LinkedIn profile, he implemented a new strategic plan for the city of Pinole including community engagement, economic development, and long-term financial plans.

Murray conducted research on the drivers of local economic growth as principal economist at the University of California Berkeley from 2001 to 2004. He served as the city performance deputy director in San Francisco from 2007 to 2012, where he analyzed efficiency and effectiveness of city operations.

“It’s a real honor to have been appointed,” Murray said when he took the podium before council Tuesday. He said he looks forward to working with the council to achieve its key goals, and to working with city staff, residents, businesses and other stakeholders to provide equitable, efficient and quality public services. “I know we all want to increase our collaboration and communication, so those will of course be goals of mine. I can’t wait to get started next Monday,” he said.

Vice Mayor Mina Loera-Diaz thanked Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall for her excellent work and timely responses. “I sincerely feel that during the short time you’ve been here, that you’ve made a big difference, a big impact for this city,” she said.

Marshall was appointed to fill in during a city manager search after Mike Malone left the position on April 18.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Murray's start date.