A special meeting was held January 11th, 2023, in which a new City Treasurer was appointed after a public interview process. A few public concerns were also heard regarding road maintenance and the city manager recruitment process.
The public interview process for City Treasurer started with Roy Todd, with experience in business management in multiple industries over many years. Mr. Todd doesn’t have much experience with government and municipal funds but, believes his private industry experience and willingness to learn hands-on would allow him to be great in the role. Lucy Lawrence was the second candidate, a longtime Los Banos resident, and VP branch manager for Mechanics Bank and 12 years of experience with Rabobank, with a total of 43 years of banking experience. Mrs. Lawrence has deep financial experience and has worked with public funds but no experience within the city government.
Councilmembers Lambert, Begonia, Jones, and Mayor Llanez voted to appoint Lucy Lawrence as our new City Treasurer with Councilmember Lewis voting for Roy Todd. The decision was based on her financial experience, and Todd was recognized as a good candidate but lacked the financial focus Mrs. Lawrence brought to the table.
Our new City Treasurer Lucy Lawrence has been a longtime Los Banos resident and grandmother. She built her 43 years of finance experience locally and began as a Proof Operator at Bank of America in 1979. She helped build up Rabobank’s recognition in Los Banos from the ground up and is the current VP Branch Manager at Mechanics Bank. She has deep experience with finance, management, and love for the town that she grew up in and raised her children in. We here at The Enterprise wish her much success in this important role. A public concern was presented by resident Mark Fay commenting on the terrible state of San Luis Road and its desperate need for maintenance before approving a new duplex project near the road that would add at least 28 more cars to its daily traffic. Anne McCauley brought up the closed-session recruitment of a new city manager, urging the council to conclude and hire a permanent or long-term city manager as soon as possible.
The next, regular City Council meeting will be held on January 18th, 2023.
