SANTEE (FOX 5/KUSI) — After a months-long nationwide search for candidates, the Santee City Council announced it will consider appointing a public official from a different city within San Diego County as its new city manager.
The council has tapped Wendy Kaserman, who currently serves as assistant city manager for the City of Poway, to take over as Santee’s city manager, pending approval.
The position was left vacant in April after the departure of the previous city manager, Marlene Best. According to a report by The San Diego Union-Tribune, Best had signed a severance agreement on April 22 and her resignation officially took place the following day.
Following Best’s departure, Gary Halbert was appointed as the interim city manager while the council searched for a permanent replacement.
In an announcement on Monday, Santee Mayor John Minto said, “As we considered Santee’s future, it was clear that Wendy’s enthusiasm, expertise, and collaborative spirit made her the right choice to lead Santee into the future.”
Kaserman has worked in local government for more than 20 years, and has served the City of Poway since 2016. She has also worked in public positions for the City of San Marcos and the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona.
In her current role as assistant city manager, she helped Poway’s city manager oversee a $125 million annual operating budget, a $101 million capital improvement budget and 240 full-time employees.
The Santee City Council will consider Kaserman’s appointment to city manager at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9. If approved, her first day with the city would be Thursday, Oct. 23.
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