Young Named Costa Mesa Finance Director

LOBDELL ANNOUNCES THE PROMOTION
Costa Mesa Interim Communication Director Bill Lobdell announced in a Press Release today that Budget and Research Officer Bobby Young has been promoted to the position of Finance Director, filling the vacancy created with his predecessor, Marc Puckett, departed nearly two years ago. The text of that Press Release is provided for your reading pleasure below.


AN EXCELLENT MOVE
In my view, this is an excellent move by Chief Executive Officer Tom Hatch. In many ways, since Puckett's departure under curious circumstances, Young has performed many of the duties normally expected of a Finance Director. He and Assistant Finance Director Colleen O'Donoghue keep things moving in a very stressful time. Earlier this year Larry Hurst, a long-time Municipal Finance guru, was hired as the Interim Finance Director to help with what was going to be a prodigious effort to produce a balanced budget under the constraints of a completely new way of looking at our finances by the new City Council.

YOUNG DESERVES THIS POSITION
Since Puckett's departure Young has performed with distinction - something almost impossible to ignore since so much time and energy was focused on financial matters. Not only has he done a great job under the most trying of circumstances, but he has maintained the highest levels of professionalism while doing it.

CONGRATS AND KUDOS
Congratulations to Bobby Young, and to Tom Hatch for this excellent move.

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Bobby Young Promoted to Costa Mesa Finance Director

COSTA MESA, CALIF.— Chief Executive Officer Tom Hatch today promoted Bobby Young, the City’s budget and research officer, to the position of finance director.

Young had been performing most of the duties of the finance director—including preparing the City’s annual budget and negotiating with employee associations—since September 2009, when the position was left vacant because of budget challenges.

“We’re very pleased Bobby accepted the position,” Hatch said. “He’s done excellent work for the City and earned respect both inside City Hall and in the community. We interviewed many quality candidates, but Bobby’s knowledge of the City and his track record of excellence made him my top choice.”

Young, a Costa Mesa resident, has worked in government finance for 15 years, starting as an auditor of local government and nonprofit agencies. He was hired by the City of Costa Mesa in 2001 as the accounting supervisor and was promoted in 2007 to budget and research officer.

In 2005, Young was named the City’s Employee of the Month for his contributions to revamping Costa Mesa’s annual audit and Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

He’s also involved in community organizations, serving currently chief financial officer and board member of Leadership Tomorrow, a local nonprofit, and often volunteering as a team leader for Neighbor for Neighbor events.

Young received a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Cal State Fullerton. He and his wife, Kathleen, have two children.

Puckett's Odyssey Continues

MARC PUCKETT LANDS IN APPLE VALLEY
Thanks for the heads-up by an anonymous commenter (you will recall I DO NOT post anonymous comments - make up a name!) who provided me with this link that tells us that Costa Mesa's former Finance Director, Marc Puckett, has landed another job - this time in the high desert community of Apple Valley.


PETALUMA PIT STOP
You will recall that Puckett's odyssey recently took him to the bay area community of Petaluma, where he spent only a couple months before bailing out, apparently citing "family issues". According to a newspaper article at the time, his last day was to be January 7, 2011.

STARTED NEW JOB LAST WEEK
The article about him joining Apple Valley as its Finance Director says he started that job on January 5th. Apple Valley has a population of around 73,000 people and is presently working with a budget of $105 million.

WE WISH HIM WELL
I'm glad Puckett found a new job and hope this one works out for him. He's a very talented man, despite the circumstances surrounding his departure from Costa Mesa 18 months ago.

Marc Puckett Out - Again

MARC PUCKETT BAILS OUT OF PETALUMA
Former Costa Mesa Finance Director Marc Puckett, who left his position nearly eighteen months ago under a cloud after having been put on leave for "personnel" matters, has resigned from a similar position in the Bay Area city of Petaluma.

"FAMILY REASONS" QUOTED
Puckett started in Petaluma as Finance Director in November and his last day will apparently be January 7th. He gave "family reasons" for his abrupt departure after such a short tenure on the job. You can read the entire story from the online edition of the Petaluma Argus-Courier HERE.

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?
Once again we are left to speculate about the circumstances of Puckett's departure from yet another job. This, coupled with the current situation with Costa Mesa Police Chief Christopher Shawkey and his top aide, Captain Ron Smith - both of whom were recently placed on administrative leave - leaves us very curious about just what the heck is going on!

SILLY ME...
And here I foolishly thought not much would be happening during this holiday week. Silly me!

Late Election Info and Related Issues

FISLER VICTORY CERTIFIED BY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS
Today I heard from Mesa Consolidated Water District Director Jim Fisler that the recount in his race to retain his seat has been withdrawn. A check of the Registrar of Voters site confirms that fact, so Fisler will retain his appointed seat with a slim 66 vote margin over Dan Worthington.

APPLICATIONS TRICKLING IN
As of yesterday afternoon the City Manager's office reports that there is only one applicant for the potential vacancy on the City Council if Katrina Foley resigns next month. There are three applicants for vacancies on the Planning Commission, two of which have been reported here - Byron de Arakal and Chris Bunyan. There are also two applicants for Parks & Recreation Commission seats. The City will not confirm the identities of applicants until the filing deadline of 5:00 p.m., December 17, 2010 has passed.

WHAT ABOUT FITZPATRICK?
Still unresolved at this time is the status of Planning Commissioner Jim Fitzpatrick, who won a seat on the Costa Mesa Sanitary District Board in the recent election. There is a body of thought that he will not be permitted to hold both seats simultaneously. We're still awaiting word from The City on this. We assume City Attorney Kim Barlow will be consulted and rule on this issue. This needs to happen soon because Fitzpatrick will be seated on the Sanitary District Board later this week.

POTENTIAL LACK OF PLANNING COMMISSION QUORUM
IF Fitzpatrick is required to abandon his Planning Commission seat and IF one of the other commissioners - Steve Mensinger, Colin McCarthy or Sam Clark - are appointed to the presumed Foley vacancy on the City Council, that creates a problem for the city. That would leave only two of the current planning commissioners in their jobs and could not do business because of a lack of a quorum in January.

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS AND MORE QUESTIONS
In the meantime, many questions continue to swirl around City Hall. What is the status of the search for a new Fire Chief? We know that retired Chief Mike Morgan is working a temporary gig across the border in Newport Beach, but what about his replacement? What is the actual status of Police Chief Chris Shawkey and his top captain, Ron Smith? Are they gone or not? What about a replacement for long-departed Finance Director Marc Puckett, who recently landed a similar job in Petaluma? So many holes to fill...

Marc Puckett Resigns as Costa Mesa Finance Director

PUCKETT RESIGNS
In a press release today the City of Costa Mesa announced that Marc Puckett, Finance Director the past decade, has tendered his voluntary resignation effective September 2, 2009.


CONFIDENTIALITY PROHIBITS DISCLOSURE OF REASON
The circumstances of Puckett's departure are unknown, although rumors abound throughout City Hall. Allan Roeder, City Manager, cited confidentiality issues when he made the announcement of Puckett's departure and subsequent resignation.

HIS EXPERTISE WILL BE MISSED
Puckett was the ramrod for the city in all financial matters, to which he brought significant expertise. Under his guidance the city has received numerous awards for budget presentations year after year.

ACTIVE LEADER IN FINANCE COMMUNITY
Puckett was also active in several professional organizations. He was the President-elect of the California Municipal Treasurers Association, a position from which he resigned last month.

HEADED THE PURSUIT OF LOST LEHMAN BROTHERS DOLLARS
He started an organization to pursue the lost dollars involved in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, the anniversary of which fell on this date. It is unknown whether he will continue in that role following his departure from his position in Costa Mesa.

INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR SOUGHT
Roeder indicates that an interim Finance Director will be sought before a decision is made regarding filling the job permanently, and mentioned that the city is undergoing significant downsizing in personnel, including Public Safety and other government function.

SOME DAY WE MAY KNOW...
I suppose some day an enterprising reporter will discover the reason for Puckett's departure. In the meantime we are left to speculate . We know Roeder and the remaining Finance Department staff will continue on guiding the city through the financial rapids ahead.

Marc Puckett Is Gone - Why?

MARC PUCKETT ON LEAVE
It was with great pain that I read in the Daily Pilot online edition, HERE, today that City of Costa Mesa Finance Director and City Treasurer, Marc Puckett, is on leave from the city for, as the Pilot article says, "an undisclosed reason."

NO FINANCIAL MALFEASANCE INVOLVED
The article by Alan Blank goes on to quote City Manager Allan Roeder indicating that Puckett's absence has "nothing to do with financial malfeasance." I know Mr. Roeder to be a man of integrity and honor, so I take him at his word.

HELD IN HIGH REGARD FOR A DECADE
Puckett has been with the city ten years, coming to Costa Mesa from Flint, Michigan, where he was Director of Finance. He has been held in high regard not only by members of our city and staff, but by the wider financial community, too. In the wake of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy he formed the Lehman Brothers Working Group, which now includes 1500 agencies from 21 states.

HE RESIGNED FROM CMTA THIS MONTH
Because city officials are playing this subject very, very close to their vests, we have no idea why he left, how long Puckett will be absent, nor if he will return to his job at all. I do know that he wrote a letter on August 18, 2009 to the President of the California Municipal Treasurers Association - a group in which he was a member of the Executive Board and the President-Elect - resigning his position on that board. That act alone would lead one to believe that Puckett may never return to his job in Costa Mesa.

PUCKETT ALWAYS A PRO
Over the past few years I've had frequent contacts with Marc Puckett, usually during the budget planning process. I always found him to be a very responsive and intelligent public servant. He clearly knew municipal finance inside and out and was eager to impart knowledge to those who asked.

THE QUESTION IS - WHY?
Because this is a "personnel matter" the city is apparently obligated to keep the reason for his absence quiet so it leaves us all to engage in what I refer to as "speculosis" - the affliction of speculating on the reasons for an event or situation. I sincerely hope that Puckett's absence will not adversely affect the city's ability to go forward with the very difficult budget planning issues that are ahead.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL, INCLUDING PUCKETT
In the meantime, I wish the city finance staff and the senior management well as they try to sort out whatever the issues are. And, I wish Marc Puckett well, too. Until we know more, he deserves that...