The Hemet City Council this week voted unanimously to name Ernie Reyna as the next city manager following the retirement of Mark Prestwich earlier this year.
Stay up to date with the latest from The Record. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter today!
“I’m looking forward to this next chapter of my life, but also in reviewing and reading the description for the job, I thought it fit pretty well,” Reyna said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I’m really eager [and] excited to get started working with the city council, the residents of the city as well as city staff and I have a plan of what to do going forward.”
The city hired Ralph Andersen & Associates to conduct a nationwide search following Prestwich’s May retirement. Mayor Linda Krupa said Reyna was selected from more than 30 applicants, eight of which the council interviewed, before whittling that down to two finalists.
“I just want to welcome Ernie,” Mayor Pro Tem Joe Males said. “I think you’re going to do a great job after interviewing you…you were ready, you were prepared and that was good.”
The council also voted unanimously to approve an employment agreement with Reyna for an initial five-year term at an annual base salary of $330,000 with annual increases of 2% subject to salary compaction and fiscal emergency provisions.
Benefits include city deferred compensation contributions, CalPERS retirement, health, dental, vision benefits, city paid life insurance and a $500 automobile allowance or a city provided vehicle as well as vacation time, 60 hours of administrative leave and the option to participate in the city’s gym, employee assistance and group health insurance programs, City Attorney Steven Graham Pacifico said at the meeting.
Reyna is expected to begin his tenure in Hemet on November 2 and brings with him more than 25 years of leadership in city management, municipal finance and regional government, the city said in a news release.
In his current role as assistant city manager for the city of Perris, Reyna has been directly involved in budget development, labor negotiations and long-range financial planning. Earlier this year, he led the effort behind Measure B, a voter-approved initiative to increase the city’s sales tax from 7.75% to 8.75%.
Reyna has also held leadership positions in the city of Eastvale and with the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG). He started his career with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, where he spent 13 years in accounting, audit, and financial administration roles, according to the city.
Reyna holds a Master of Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside, and is a licensed California Certified Public Accountant, the city said.
In his new role, he will be responsible to the Hemet City Council for the administration of all city affairs and will oversee the implementation of the city’s strategic plan.
The council also thanked interim City Manager Noah Rau for his continued service to the city during the search and transition.
“I want to thank you, Noah, for all you did and [for] coming in at a time where you were needed,” Males said. “I was ready to have you on full-time, and hopefully you would have continued, but things don’t always work the way you think they’re going to work, but I’m thankful for what you did and I thank you for giving your time as city manager.”
The Riverside Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet providing Riverside County with high-quality journalism free of charge. We’re able to do this because of the generous donations of supporters like you!