For the next three years Chula Vista City Manager Gary Halbert will continue shaping Chula Vista’s future.
After the Chula Vista City Council completed a Jan. 23 performance evaluation on Halbert, they unanimously agreed in February to extend Halbert’s contract until 2021 at an annual salary of $285,000.
In the three and a half years as the city manager for the county’s second largest city, Halbert has lead the city into taking full ownership of the former Olympic Training Center—now known as the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center—and use the facility as a source of revenue for the city.
Halbert,58, has also managed balancing a $277 million budget.
Mayor Mary Casillas Salas said Halbert received the full support of the city council as they share his vision for the next three years.
Halbert succeeded Jim Sandoval as city manager in June 2014.
“He’s done a remarkable job moving us into a new city, a modern city,” Casillas Salas said.
“We (the council) particularly like his focus on smart city development and his focus on economic development. We know that we need to diversify our revenue streams through bringing more businesses here and Gary (Halbert) is really making sure we have the infrastructure to support new businesses with the high technologies that they need.”
Halbert said his top priority includes improving staffing levels for public safety through a sales tax increase.
In January— on the same day the council extended Halbert’s contract — the council agreed to place a half-cent sales tax increase measure on the June ballot. Monies from the tax revenue is supposed to go toward improving staffing levels for both police and fire.
