SAN BENITO — Not yet.
Since last month, the city has posted two agenda items stating city commissioners were to evaluate City Manager Manuel De La Rosa’s job performance.
De La Rosa placed the items of the June 6 and June 20 meeting agendas as part of the requirements of his contract, which calls for evaluations in May and November, city spokeswoman Martha McClain said yesterday in a statement.
“It is at the discretion of the city commission to take action,” McClain said.
Some city commissioners were apparently ready to evaluate De La Rosa.
Commissioner Rene Villafranco said De La Rosa has “done an excellent job.”
Mayor Ben Gomez, who took office in May, said “he’s doing pretty good in his job.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner Esteban Rodriguez said De La Rosa’s performance shows “some good and there’s some bad.”
But officials postponed the evaluation as a result of the May 6 election in which Gomez and Commissioner Carol Lynn Sanchez won seats on the commission, Rodriguez said yesterday.
“They felt they hadn’t been there long enough to give a proper evaluation,” Rodriguez said.
Instead, commissioners are setting goals they expect De La Rosa to meet in order to grade him on his next evaluation, expected in November.
“San Benito city commissioners are expected to develop and deliver a set of goals to City Manager Manuel De La Rosa in the near future as a precursor to his annual performance evaluation,” McClain said.
Now, commissioners have “about four months to observe and evaluate his performance measured against the goals,” McClain said.
“The process is constructive, providing not only an examination of past performance but guidance for future efforts by the city manager,” McClain said. “This process will allow the commission to clearly communicate to De La Rosa exactly what it expects and wants.”
Last December, commissioners approved De La Rosa’s new three-year contract extension, setting his salary at $110,000 and giving him his second $5,000 raise.
De La Rosa’s extended contract runs from Feb. 1, 2017, to Jan. 31, 2020, requiring six-month evaluations leading to $5,000 raises upon “above-satisfactory” job performance ratings.
In December 2015, commissioners selected De La Rosa over then-Assistant City Manager Art Rodriguez after reviewing a field of 20 applicants.
