Salinas City Council unanimously approves removal of City Manager Steve Carrigan

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)  Update Oct. 3, 2023, at 6:21 p.m.- In a special meeting held by the Salinas City Council Tuesday it was approved in a unanimous decision to remove current City Manager Steve Carrigan.

Current Assistant City Manager Jim Pia is the acting city manager.

The City Council did not disclose why they let him go.

This comes less than a week after Steve Carrigan said he was not taking the same role in San Bernadino. After weeks of speculation, he was leaving Salinas for San Bernadino.

Carrigan announced he was staying in Salinas on Thursday and could not see himself working anywhere else.

ORIGINAL STORY

Salinas will not have to set up a job posting for a new city manager after current City Manager Steve Carrigan announced he withdrew his name from consideration for the same position in San Bernardino.

Carrigan sent a letter to all city employees that read in part:

Over the past few weeks I have had time to think about what’s important to me from a personal and a professional standpoint and I have decided that Salinas is the best place for me. Earlier this morning, I contacted the recruiter and removed my name from consideration for the position of San Bernardino City Manager.

Steve Carrigan

Carrigan added he could not see himself working anywhere else. In Salinas, he has helped work make progress with major issues such as homelessness, affordable housing, crime, and infrastructure and he said he wants to be here to continue that momentum.