Council Fills City Manager Position

The City Council has voted unanimously to appoint Daniel G. Hobbs, the top municipal official in an upscale Detroit suburb, as the city manager.

Hobbs, city manager in Farmington Hills, Mich., a community of 82,000, was selected from five finalists, officials said.

As Farmington Hills manager since 1996, he has overseen city government in a community that is home to several computer technology firms and an extensive parks system.

Last year, his city Police Department’s community policing programs were ranked first among cities of a similar size by the National League of Cities.

“West Covina went on a nationwide search, and we are very fortunate to have found an individual as skilled and talented as Dan Hobbs,” Mayor Richard Melendez said.

The Dayton, Ohio, native has previously served as city manager in Killeen, Texas, and Greenbelt, Md. In West Covina, he will earn $123,000 a year and will begin Aug. 17, officials said.

Hobbs takes the helm in West Covina after Duarte’s city manager initially accepted the job but changed his mind a day later.

In recent months, City Hall has been in turmoil amid several resignations, the firing of the police chief and disputes among council members.