‘Devereaux named county administrative officer’

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SAN BERNARDINO – As Ontario City Manager Greg Devereaux takes the helm of the county’s top post, 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt said he foresees better relationships between the county and cities and expedited redevelopment in the High Desert.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to hire Devereaux as the new county administrative officer. … (Continued below) …

… From the Daily Press, Jan. 13, 2010, By Natasha Lindstrom, Staff Writer … (Continued below) …

… Devereaux will begin Feb. 13 and make $305,000 annually, which is $31,000 more than previous CAO Mark Uffer. Devereaux received an increase to match his salary as city manager of Ontario, said county spokesman David Wert.

Mitzelfelt and 2nd District Supervisor Paul Biane said they expect Devereaux to improve the county’s relationship with its 24 cities and better focus on overarching regional goals, rather than one local issue at a time.

“We have been striving for years to improve the county’s ability to help municipalities deliver services and deal with regional challenges. It’s had mixed results,” Mitzelfelt said. “I think with the help of Greg Devereaux we will see outstanding results.”

Devereaux enters county government amid a statewide spending crisis and estimated county budget shortfall of $90 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The CAO administers and coordinates the day-to-day operations of the county, advises long-range planning, and development and recommends the county budget.

Mitzelfelt said Devereaux brings with him expansive knowledge of municipal services and state laws, expertise in redevelopment efforts and strong credibility in getting results.

“He is a turnaround artist, by that I mean that the last two cities where he was city manager he substantially and demonstratively changed the direction from a downward trend to an upward trend,” Mitzelfelt said. He said he hopes Devereaux will help the supervisors advance their projects with the full force of county resources, with Mitzelfelt’s redevelopment goals including speeding up growth around Southern California Logistics Airport and forming new redevelopment areas for Phelan and Daggett/Yermo.

As Ontario city manager for the past 12 years, Devereaux helped the city build its reserves and achieve surpluses every year, Wert said.

“Greg is a master negotiator, and he has brought things to Ontario that some people thought couldn’t be brought to a city here, not the least of which is the Citizens Business Bank Arena, the convention center and the Ontario Mills shopping center,” Mitzelfelt said.

Devereaux also helped the city of Ontario acquire Ontario Motor Speedway, redevelop its civic center district and plan the New Model Colony, 13 square miles of former dairy land that will become a residential and retail community.

Board Chairman Gary Ovitt credited Devereaux with cultivating Ontario into “the economic engine of the Inland Empire,” and “one of the most consumer-friendly cities in our region.”

Before Ontario, Devereaux spent four years as city manager of Fontana, where Wert said he stabilized the city’s finances and reduced expenditures.

Officials reviewed more than 277 applications for the position, according to the board agenda, but Devereaux was rumored for the job since shortly after Uffer was fired, multiple knowledgeable sources said. Uffer was fired “for no cause” on a split vote Nov. 17, with three supervisors expressing the desire to “move in a new direction.”

Unlike Uffer’s contract, Devereaux’s five year contract is not at will, which means if he is fired it will have to be “for cause.”

“I see this as a new era of stability and respect in San Bernardino County government,” Mitzelfelt said. “What I mean by that is Greg Devereaux is not coming to this county on a whim … he knows that it won’t be a short term relationship.”

Natasha Lindstrom may be reached at (760) 951-6232 or at nlindstrom@VVDailyPress.com.

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