Harry Peacock
By Sarah Lombardo
One of the city's most influential, and some say controversial, officials is leaving Saratoga. Effective March 7, Harry Peacock will step down as Saratoga's city manager.
"This was an important decision and was reached in an atmosphere of amicability and cooperation and with the agreement of all five members of the City Council after many months of discussions," Mayor Gillian Moran said. Moran announced the decision at the Feb. 19 City Council meeting.
The decision to ask Peacock to step down was made in a closed session of the City Council. In a phone interview, Councilman Paul Jacobs, a former mayor, said the council felt Peacock, who has been Saratoga's city manager since September 1985, no longer reflected the direction in which Saratogans wished to city to go.
"We came to feel that the philosophies and style that Harry had have grown out of touch with the direction of the residents and the city," Jacobs said. "And that's not a criticism. That's just a fact of life. . . . The attitude of the city has changed, and I just don't think Harry fits the mold."
Councilman Jim Shaw said council members were trying to plan for the future when they discussed removing Peacock from the role of city manager. "The reason is prospective," Shaw said, "looking ahead to the future and taking into account what the pulse of the community is, how the community feels. And it looks like the people of Saratoga want to go in a different direction."
Both Shaw and Jacobs said that they felt Peacock was a very talented city manager, but that his talents could no longer benefit Saratoga.
"His skills and abilities, which are many, will probably do better somewhere else," Shaw said.
Jacobs compared the situation to a company changing direction; the first step is to hire a new corporate executive officer. "It doesn't mean that the guy necessarily did a bad job," Jacobs said. "It just means that it's a change in direction."
Peacock said he wasn't sure he agreed with the council's conclusion about the city's future, but that he had been thinking about leaving the city anyway.
"My wife and I have been talking about it for about six months," Peacock said. "It was time for a change."
Peacock said he and his wife are planning on moving back to Southern California; Peacock came to Saratoga after 12 years as city manager in the Southern California community of Rolling Hills Estates.
Public Works Director Larry Perlin will serve as acting city manager until an interim city manager can be found. Moran said the council hopes to recruit an interim manager by April, and that the search for a new city manager could last until the fall. "This process is not fast," Moran said.
The council's move comes at a time when many residents and council members have been entertaining the idea of a city government hiring freeze. But, Moran said, the possibility of a freeze should not have an effect on the search.
Moran's announcement seemed to surprise residents attending the council meeting, causing a silence and then an outburst of whispering, but former councilwoman Ann Marie Burger said she was not surprised by the move, and she felt it was a bad one.
"I think it's extremely unfortunate for this community. My opinion is that Harry Peacock was the best city manager that this city ever had," she said. "They didn't appreciate his expertise and his professionalism."
Burger also said she thought the move was just another example of the politics in Saratoga. "It's part of a political agenda of some of the members of this community," she said.
Don Whetstone, who in the recent years has publicly spoken against some of Peacock's policies and is currently involved in litigation against the city over the Saratoga Creek, said he was not shocked at the council's move. The surprise to him, he said, was why it took so long.
"I'm surprised in view of the political price council members have paid over the years for [Peacock's] shenanigans," Whetstone said.
Whetstone expressed hope that a new city manager might help rebuild trust for the city government within the community. "I'm delighted that they will have a chance to heal things and not have so much an 'us versus them' attitude," he said.to the future and taking into account what the pulse of the community is, how the community feels. And it looks like the people of Saratoga want to go in a different direction."
Both Shaw and Jacobs said that they felt Peacock was a very talented city manager, but that his talents could no longer benefit Saratoga.
"His skills and abilities, which are many, will probably do better somewhere else," Shaw said.
Jacobs compared the situation to a company changing direction; the first step is to hire a new corporate executive officer. "It doesn't mean that the guy necessarily did a bad job," Jacobs said. "It just means that it's a change in direction."
Peacock said he wasn't sure he agreed with the council's conclusion about the city's future, but that he had been thinking about leaving the city anyway.
"My wife and I have been talking about it for about six months," Peacock said. "It was time for a change."
Peacock said he and his wife are planning to move back to Southern California; Peacock came to Saratoga after 12 years as city manager in the Southern California community of Rolling Hills Estates.
Public Works Director Larry Perlin will serve as acting city manager until an interim city manager can be found. Moran said that the council hopes to recruit an interim manager by April, but that the search for a new city manager could last until the fall. "This process is not fast," Moran said.
The council's move comes at a time when many residents and council members have been entertaining the idea of a city government hiring freeze. But, Moran said, the possibility of a freeze should not have an effect on the search.
Moran's announcement seemed to surprise residents attending the council meeting, causing a silence and then an outburst of whispering, but former Councilwoman Ann Marie Burger said she was not surprised by the move, and she felt it was a bad one.
"I think it's extremely unfortunate for this community. My opinion is that Harry Peacock was the best city manager that this city ever had," she said. "They didn't appreciate his expertise and his professionalism."
Burger also said she thought the move was just another example of the politics in Saratoga. "It's part of a political agenda of some of the members of this community," she said.
Don Whetstone, who in the recent years has publicly spoken against some of Peacock's policies and is currently involved in litigation against the city over the Saratoga Creek, said he was not shocked at the council's move. The surprise to him, he said, was why it took so long.
"I'm surprised in view of the political price council members have paid over the years for [Peacock's] shenanigans," Whetstone said.
Whetstone expressed hope that a new city manager might help rebuild trust in the city government within the community. "I'm delighted that they will have a chance to heal things and not have so much an 'us versus them' attitude," he said.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 26, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.