A short-timer in the ranks of Seaside City Hall lands a job as Gonzales’ new city manager.

The city of Gonzales started the new year with a new city manager. Gonzales City Council selected Trevin Barber, former assistant city manager in Seaside, from 35 candidates to fill a vacancy that long-time city manager Rene Mendez left last summer.

Mayor Jose Rios says Barber was unanimously selected in December; Barber started his new job on Jan. 17.

Mendez, who led Gonzales for 17 years, resigned last year to take over as city manager in Watsonville on July 1. Since his departure, longtime community leader Carmel Gil served as interim city manager, after working for two-and-a-half years as Gonzales’ director of community engagement and strategic partnership. (Gil was among the candidates for the full-time job.)

Barber has over 12 years of management experience, including in economic development and policy initiatives. He worked in Seaside for a little over a year, and at the end of his tenure there as assistant city manager, was on administrative leave for unspecified reasons. Before that, he was a senior management analyst in Gilroy, developing public forums and relationships in the community with different interest groups. (Barber did not return calls from the Weekly for this story.)

According to Rios, Barber was terminated from his position in Seaside once Jaime Fontes took over as Seaside’s new city manager last year and restructured his administration.

Barber worked in Seaside from June 6, 2021, to Sept. 1, 2022. It is unclear why he was on administrative leave and if he was paid or not during that time. Rios says the Gonzales City Council was aware of Barber’s administrative leave.

Rios says Barber reminds him of a young Mendez. “He is so committed to this community,” Rios says, adding that Barber has relocated to Gonzales.

Barber’s starting salary is $194,000/year, and he will receive a $1,500 monthly rent allowance for living within city limits.