The search for Lompoc’s new city manager is over.
Jim Throop, formerly the chief financial officer for Oxnard, will take over the position vacated by Patrick Wiemiller, who resigned in November 2017 following months of budget deadlock between members of the City Council, two of which called for the review of Wiemiller’s performance on three separate occasions.
“Throop’s experience in finance and problem-solving abilities made him a stand-out,” Mayor Bob Lingl stated, following the position’s announcement. “Our City Council looks forward to welcoming Jim to the city, and moving forward with Jim’s leadership in these challenging financial times.”
Some challenges that Throop will have to help the council navigate largely involve the $70 million in pension retirement funds the city will have to pay out over the next decade, which has an additional $7 million in annual costs. During the city’s last biennial budget deliberations—which lasted multiple months due to disagreements among council members—several staff positions were floated to be cut, but ultimately, at the insistence of Wiemiller, were not, including the city’s fire marshal.
Assistant City Manager Teresa Gallavan had been serving as the interim manager while the city looked to fill the position. She will return to her original position as the city’s economic development director and assistant manager.
According to Lompoc’s Public Information Officer Samantha Scroggin, Throop is scheduled to begin his role as city manager on July 30. He will be introduced to the community at the city’s next council meeting on Tuesday, June 19.
Born in Orange County, Throop served as director of administrative service for Paso Robles from 2007 to 2016 before taking the financial officer job in Oxnard. He has more than 30 years of financial management experience in the public and private sectors.
This article appears in Jun 14-21, 2018.