Council Hires New City Manager, Confronts Road Funding Cliff

Concord's City Council moved on several fronts Tuesday night, unanimously installing a new city manager to lead the city through a pivotal stretch, while staff laid bare an uncomfortable truth: the money that rebuilt the city's roads is running out. The council also adopted a traffic safety plan to chase up to $20 million in federal grants and celebrated a $2 million state check for one of the city's oldest buildings.

• Jerome Wilverding appointed city manager effective June 22, bringing experience managing a $2.9 billion county budget to a city facing major development and fiscal decisions
• $58.8M capital budget previewed with a warning: pavement gains will reverse as Measure V financing winds down; reaching the citywide target would cost $50M per year for a decade
• $19.1M police headquarters repair for a 30-year-old roof and HVAC system will crowd out parks, medians, and some paving projects
• Traffic safety action plan adopted 5-0, unlocking eligibility for $15–20M in federal Safe Streets grants; 60% of Concord's traffic deaths and severe injuries involve pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists
• $2M state grant delivered for the 1844 Don Fernando Pacheco Adobe, the first successful funding effort after at least three prior failures
• Steelworkers union president warns of safety risks at the Marathon refinery, where workers have been on strike for more than two weeks
• Community Youth Center opens, already serving 2,600 kids with $1.5M in city ARPA funds and $5M from Contra Costa County

Why it matters: Concord's next city manager will oversee the Naval Weapons Station reuse — a once-in-a-generation development — while navigating a tightening budget for roads, facilities, and public safety.