City Council hires communications manager

The City Council voted (surprise, surprise) 4 to 3 Monday to hire a new communications manager to work for City Manager Charles McNeely.

Council members Dennis Baxter, Tobin Brinker, Fred Shorett and Rikke Van Johnson voted to make the hire. Council members Esther Estrada, Chas Kelley and Wendy McCammack voted no.

The hire, revealed in the request of council action as Heather Gray, is scheduled to begin work Tuesday with a salary of $9,027 per month, subject to be cut 10 percent in accord with the city's across-the-board salary cuts.

How long the new hire gets to stay on the job could very well depend on the outcome of Tuesday's elections.

McNeely, hired on the recommendation of Mayor Pat Morris, has said the new position is vital to get the word out on San Bernardino and plans to pay Gray's salary without using the general fund. Nevertheless, mayoral candidate City Attorney James F. Penman has said the position is a poor use of city funds and has pledged to axe the job from the payroll if he wins.