Palm Springs council chooses new city manager; Scott Stiles has worked in Garden Grove, Cincinnati

After a roughly six-month search, the Palm Springs City Council has chosen Scott Stiles as the new city manager. Stiles will replace Justin Clifton, who left the role in September after only about a year on the job.

The council is scheduled to formally vote on the appointment next week.

Stiles is currently the city manager for Garden Grove in Orange County. Prior to that role, which he accepted in 2015, he was the interim and assistant city manager in Cincinnati. He spent a total of 27 years working for the city of Cincinnati in roles including personnel analyst and real estate manager.

According to a Palm Springs city staff report, Stiles was selected from among 68 applicants after interviews with both community panels and other executive city staff members.

His appointment will be considered at a Jan. 26 Palm Springs City Council meeting. If approved for the role, his first day will be March 6, according to the report.

Palm Springs Councilmember Lisa Middleton said Stiles stood out for his prior experience in dealing with homelessness issues and working with a very diverse community in Garden Grove. More than 40% of Garden Grove's 170,000 residents are Asian, and more than a third are Latino, census figures show.

“The demographics of Garden Grove may be different, but they are nevertheless very diverse and he’s worked exceptionally well (with that city),” Middleton told The Desert Sun. “We expect the same from him in Palm Springs.”

Middleton said Garden Grove and Palm Springs’ mutual dependence on tourism was also a factor in the decision.

“With Disneyland being a close neighbor, there are a lot of hotels (in Garden Grove),” Middleton said. “The foundation of the economy there has some similarities to Palm Springs.”

The council member said that, for her, “the stability of his tenure” was one of the more important factors supporting Stiles' selection. She pointed to his decades of service for Cincinnati prior to his seven-year stint as city manager for Garden Grove.

“He told us that this was the only job he applied for in the last seven years because there was something special that stood out to him about Palm Springs,” she said.

Garden Grove Mayor Pro Tem George Brietigam described Stiles as a "wonderful" city manager and said he "accomplished so much and provided outstanding leadership" during his tenure.

"We are very sad to see him go," Brietigam wrote in an email to The Desert Sun.

Stiles could not be reached for comment. In a statement released by the city, he called Palm Springs “one of the most vibrant, welcoming and diverse communities in the nation” and said he looked forward to collaborating with the city council, community and city staff.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected to lead this dynamic city and resort destination as it moves into the future,” he said.

Stiles’ proposed employment agreement includes a $325,000 annual salary over a four-year term. The full agreement is expected to be posted next week prior to the Jan. 26 council meeting, according to the report.

The departure of Stiles’ predecessor, Clifton, after a relatively short time on the job was a surprise to some. Then-Mayor Lisa Middleton told The Desert Sun at the time that Clifton had not been forced out and Clifton said he was departing to take on an unspecified private sector role. Clifton’s LinkedIn profile currently lists him as “Global Operations Manager” with Facebook parent company Meta.

Most city councilmembers praised his performance on the job, and then-councilmember Geoff Kors told The Desert Sun at the time he was disappointed by the resignation.

Since Clifton left, Assistant City Manager Teresa Gallavan has served as interim manager.

Clifton’s short tenure contrasted sharply with his immediate predecessor David Ready, who held the Palm Springs city manager role for roughly 20 years. Ready was credited by some with guiding Palm Springs’ revitalization as a tourist destination, leaving large shoes to be filled by any successors.

Prior reporting from Desert Sun staff writer Paul Albani-Burgio was used in this article.

James B. Cutchin cover business for The Desert Sun. Reach him at james.cutchin@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs City Council chooses new city manager