City Council — June 9, 2026
Claremont Council debates organizational restructure to address long-term leadership vacancies and systemic management turnover.
The meeting featured a spirited and self-reflective discussion regarding the Council's own effectiveness and the systemic issues hindering city leadership stability.
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Claremont is at a crossroads regarding how the city is managed. During the June 9 City Council meeting, significant discussions took place regarding the ongoing vacancies in critical leadership roles, specifically the Finance Director position, which has remained unfilled for nearly a year.
Council members are currently debating the best strategy to recruit a new City Manager. The discussion was notably candid, with members acknowledging a history of 'broken' relationships between the Council and previous managers. There is a fundamental question at the center of this search: Is Claremont failing to attract talent due to budget constraints—described by one member as having 'a champagne taste and a beer budget'—or is the Council's management style contributing to high turnover?
To find a solution, the Council is exploring an organizational restructure. This could include creating an Assistant City Manager position to provide more stability and better succession planning. The City Manager and HR Director have been tasked with presenting the specific costs and financial data regarding these potential changes within the next two weeks.
As these leadership roles dictate how your tax dollars are managed and how city services are delivered, it is vital that residents stay informed on whether the Council chooses to change its structure or simply search for new individuals to fit the existing system.
Public impact
Long-term vacancy in critical leadership roles (City Manager and Finance Director) affecting city operations.
The Council authorized the Mayor to gather quotes from recruiting firms and directed HR to present a formal recruitment strategy and restructuring ideas within two weeks.
HR Director Ms. Thibodeau will present recruitment options and costs; City Manager and HR will provide financial data regarding organizational restructuring.
Topics discussed
The Council discussed various methods for recruiting a new City Manager, including using professional search firms, HR recruitment tools (Indeed/LinkedIn), or internal processes. Logistics, timelines, and methodologies for recruiting a new City Manager and Finance Director were also covered.
No final decision was made on the specific recruitment method; however, there was general consensus on the need for a structured process and the possibility of using a search committee. The Council moved to authorize the Mayor to gather information and quotes from various recruiting firms.
The HR Director (Ms. Thibodeau) will be asked to present her recruitment strategy and options to the full Council within the next one to two weeks. The Council expects a presentation from HR (Ms. Thibodeau) in the next week or two to review recruitment options and costs.
Council members discussed the possibility of restructuring city leadership roles to address the long-term vacancy in the Finance Director position.
The Council agreed that the City Manager and HR should present ideas for potential restructuring of these roles, including financial implications.
The City Manager and HR Director are to provide ideas and numbers regarding the potential restructuring of the City Manager and Finance Director positions.
The Council moved into a non-public session regarding personnel matters.
The motion was passed unanimously.
Controversy & dissent
Potentially controversial issues
City Manager Recruitment Strategy and Governance
Public comment
Decisions logged
Action items
Member positions
Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position. UNCLEAR means the vote was split but the record did not name how this member voted — it is not a “yes.”
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gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning, grok-4-fast · analyzed 2026-06-10.
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