Gatch became a political pawn

Gatch became a political pawn

I congratulate Thousand Oaks Councilmembers Andy Fox, Dennis Gillette and Jacqui Irwin on the thankless action they have taken to retire City Manager Phil Gatch. Gatch is the quintessential entrenched bureaucrat, earning over $250,000 in salary and benefits while his performance is only reviewed by his friends on the council who appointed him in the first place.

Gatch was appointed two years ago when former City Manager Mary Jane Lazz was forced out by then-council majority Claudia Bill- de la Peña, Ed Masry and Bob Wilson. City Attorney Mark Sellers was also forced out by this same group, despite over 20 years of dedicated service to Thousand Oaks. Gatch was then appointed by a citizens committee heavily stacked with appointees of Wilson, de la Peña and Masry. The publicized and expensive search for a new city manager was a joke, as qualified candidates from all over the country were eliminated so that Gatch could be appointed by his friends to the lucrative job.

It seems that Gatch’s competence did not achieve the same heights as his ambition. It is now appropriate that we thank him for his service and wish him well in retirement, his last minute power grab notwithstanding.

As for Gatch’s mouthpieces who attacked the current council majority while he sat innocently watching, we’ve seen them before and we’ll see them again, despite their rapidly eroding credibility.

Michael Hebert

Thousand Oaks