Alvaro Nuñez, acting city manager for Santa Ana, tenured city employee and UCI graduate, was appointed as the city manager through a unanimous vote from the Santa Ana City Council.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the trust that Mayor Amezcua, the City Council, City staff and the entire community have placed in me,” Nuñez said in an Aug. 7 press release. “Having spent over 30 years serving and residing in the City of Santa Ana, I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished.”
Nuñez was appointed to the role after a unanimous vote during a council meeting on Aug. 6. He has a background in government work and policy, as he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from UCI. In 1993, he began working for the city as an intern and served as manager of the Code Enforcement Division of the Planning and Building Agency in 2017, for which he later became assistant director.
In this division, Nuñez worked to enforce city code pertaining to public health, safety and welfare and land use. He has also served as the president of the Santa Ana Management Association, a city department of the Orange County Employees Association union, and as board member for the Latino Youth Leadership Institute according to the press release. He is now working towards a Master’s Degree in public policy and administration and completion of a Chicano and Latino Studies program at California State University, Long Beach.
Nuñez became acting city manager in March 2024 after former City Manager Kristine Ridge. She resigned after she made allegations of a hostile work environment created by city leadership.
In September 2023, Ridge submitted a claim that accused city officials of pressuring her to provide pension and a higher salary for retired Santa Ana Police Union President Gerry Serrano. Ridge also alleged retaliation and threats to her employment, as well as “derogatory race-based comments” from Mayor Valerie Amezcua. The city of Santa Ana settled the claim with a severance agreement in October 2023.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve the great City of Santa Ana,” Ridge said in an Oct. 9 press release regarding her retirement. “I wish nothing but continued success for the City and all its dedicated employees.”
Veteran municipal executive Thomas Hatch served as interim city manager while the city looked to officially fill the role, according to the OC Register. During the Aug. 6 council meeting, Amezcua expressed optimism in Nuñez’s unanimous appointment.
“I am confident that with the City Council’s clear vision and his proven ability to get the job done as Acting City Manager, we will continue to thrive and grow as a prosperous community,” Amezcua said in the Aug. 7 press release.
As city manager, Nuñez will oversee the administrative work of the city by planning and implementing annual city budgets and providing the city council with financial recommendations. He will also produce reports that summarize significant developments within city agencies, departments and offices, any reports requested by the council and help enforce policy and action plans while managing department heads.
“Together, we will continue to build on our successes and strive for an even brighter future for our city,” Nuñez said in the Aug. 6 release.
Nuñez explained his vision to preserve the city’s history and improve its future in the City Manager’s Newsletter released on Aug. 15.
“I love living and working in Santa Ana because of the strong sense of community and family, the proud neighborhoods and local businesses, and the art and culture,” Nuñez said. “We must respect the traditions and history of this beautiful city while working to attract new businesses and jobs, to create more homeownership opportunities, and to move Santa Ana into the future.”
Santa Ana Councilmember Phil Bacerra of Ward 4 congratulated Nuñez in an Instagram post.
“I am looking forward to working with Alvaro to address issues that impact our residents’ quality of life and help our city thrive and shine,” Bacerra said.
Mariam Farag is a News Intern for the summer 2024 quarter. She can be reached at msfarah@uci.edu.
Edited by Bianca Marroquin
