Antioch Council Advances Search Firm Hiring for City Manager

The Antioch City Council is moving forward with hiring an executive search firm to recruit a permanent city manager, with search firm proposals due Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, according to a report by Allen D. Payton in the Antioch Herald.

Following a special closed session meeting on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, Acting City Manager Ana Cortez initially announced that the council had met on the interim city manager appointment item and “took no reportable action.” However, Item 19.3 on the agenda for the Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026 council meeting—titled Discussion of Recruitment Strategy and Plan for Council Identified Key Positions and Citywide Recruitment and Staffing Status Update—lists the city manager position under “Active Recruitment.”

Recruitment Timeline and 44 Vacant City Positions

According to the Oct. 27 agenda summary, the council provided direction to post a Request for Quote (RFQ) that closes on Oct. 30, 2026—four days before the Nov. 3 election—with the search firm scheduled to be selected the week of Nov. 9, 2026. The permanent city manager position will be posted in early January, when newly elected council members seated in December will participate in the hiring process, while the acting city manager and search firm work with the council on interview timelines.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the council is also scheduled to discuss 44 other vacant city positions.

District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha told the Antioch Herald that while the permanent city manager selection should be made by the new council members after the election, “when it comes to selecting an Interim City Manager to fill the gap until we are able to search for a permanent CM, we need to take action sooner than later.”

Separate Tracks for Interim and Permanent Appointments

In a written response to questions about the recruitment timeline, City Attorney Lori Asuncion stated that at a special council meeting on Oct. 7, 2026, two separate reports were made regarding the interim and permanent city manager positions:

• Interim City Manager: The council gave general direction that Cortez would remain Acting City Manager while the council completes the selection of an interim city manager, authorized Cortez to negotiate an employment agreement with a selected candidate, and directed that the interim appointment and agreement come before the council in open session at a regular meeting.
• Permanent City Manager: The council gave general direction for staff to proceed with a Request for Proposal/Quote process, which circulated for two weeks ending Oct. 30, 2026.