The recently named Los Banos interim city manager understands he will be in that position for only 120 days, but he plans to get as much done as possible during that time.
Gary Brizzee was approved by the city council as interim city manager on Feb. 10, with a contract of no more than 120 workdays. As he explained in an interview with The Westside Express, Brizzee is eager to move the city forward as much as possible during that time. And he hopes to hear from city residents.
“I want residents of Los Banos to know I’m available, and I would appreciate hearing from them about their ideas and concerns,” Brizzee said. The best way for people to connect with him is via email at gary.brizzee@losbanos.org. “I may not be able to respond immediately,” he said, “but I will respond as soon as I can.”
This is not the first time Brizzee has been interim city manager. In fact, it will be his fourth time, the most recent in 2021. He is familiar with how the city works, having recently retired as police chief.
And he is familiar with key staff members he has worked with, including Police Chief Ray Reyna, City Clerk Lucy Mallonee, Fire Chief Paul Tualla, City Attorney Bill Vaughn, Community and Economic Development Director Stacy Sousa Elms and Parks and Recreation Director Joe Heim.
“When I was asked to take on the interim city manager position,” he said, “one of the main reasons I agreed –immediately — was that I was familiar with the city staff and respected the department heads.
“Another key reason is that I care deeply about Los Banos, having grown up here. The Brizzee family has been a part of Los Banos for many years. In fact, my children are fifth generation Los Banos residents.”
Although he is eager to work as interim city manager, he is not interested in applying for the permanent position. After he retired as city police chief in November 2023, Brizzee said, “I have enjoyed my retirement. And when this assignment is completed, I’ll be ready to return to retirement.”
In his fourth go-round as interim city manager, Brizzee understands that the work overall is the same each time, keeping the city running on all cylinders, although people and personalities change.
He sees the function of the city manager as carrying out the goals of the mayor and the council. “The council sets the goals for the city,” Brizzee said. “Then it’s the job of the city manager to create a list of objectives and work with the rest of the staff to complete those objectives.”
He expects to come to know the goals of the council — including the recently elected Mayor Michael Amabile, the recently appointed city councilmembers Marcus Chavez and Evan Sanders and veteran councilmember Deborah Lewis — in the weeks and months ahead, as the city council starts working on the budget for 2025-26.
Brizzee plans to work closely with city employees. “Our employees are our most important resource,” he said, “and it’s important to build positive relationships, so that we’re all pulling in the same direction.”
Among the many tasks ahead, he said, was to work on facilities in and around city hall, including the Police Annex building, the old police station and the portables in the parking lot. “I would like to see our facilities being used with the greatest efficiency.”
He also plans to work on the intersection of Mercey Springs Road and De Anza Way, which will require many discussions with Caltrans, since Mercey Springs Road is a state highway (Highway 165). And he wants to facilitate the construction of the park in the Shaunessy Village development.
Brizzee also understands the importance of dealing with homelessness. He is grateful to have Christy McCammond as the city’s housing program manager and Jennifer Loa as the homeless outreach coordinator to work on that issue, and he hopes to help them implement soon the $11.8 million grant the city received from the state to build tiny homes.
Above all, he wants to see Los Banos prosper. “I’m proud to live in Los Banos, and it will always be my home,” he said. “I am excited to work with the mayor and councilmembers, and I want the city to be the best community possible.”
