More than six months after the retirement of longtime finance director Bob Samario, the city of Santa Barbara has found his permanent replacement.
City Administrator Paul Casey has hired Keith DeMartini, who currently serves as the finance director for the city of San Bruno in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The City Council formally approved the hire on Tuesday.
DeMartini will receive a salary of $202,311.
“I am thrilled to be joining the city of Santa Barbara’s leadership team, and am looking forward to supporting the great work of the city,” DeMartini said in a news release.
From a budget perspective, DeMartini’s jump from San Bruno to Santa Barbara will be a big one.
Santa Barbara has a $350 million total budget and a $140 million general fund; in San Bruno, he manages a total city budget of $188 million, including a general fund budget of $50 million.
According to a news release, DeMartini implemented a “comprehensive fiscal sustainability project with initiatives to grow revenues and develop long-range financial plans.”
He previously worked as financial systems director, public works budget manager, and planning finance manager in the city and county of San Francisco.
He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree in public administration from San Francisco State University.
“I look forward to Keith joining the city,” Casey said. “I am confident he will bring a wealth of experience to lead the Finance Department and help guide us during fiscal challenges.”
Finance and Treasury Manager Jennifer Tomaszewski has served as interim finance director since Samario’s departure in March.
He previously had been on paid administrative leave for reasons that the city did not disclose publicly.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
