Avera appointed as Hollister city manager

Hollister officials gave plenty of praise to incoming City Manager Bill Avera on Monday night, but Mayor Ignacio Velazquez also said the council would request the official’s resignation if he doesn’t have the budget balanced in three years.
Velazquez actually started off his comments Monday – before Avera’s contract approval – with a similarly positive tone as the other council members and called Avera the “top candidate, hands down.”
The mayor then referenced the $17.4 million general fund budget. It remains balanced with the help of more than $3 million in annual revenue from the Measure E sales tax expiring in 2018. Velazquez, elected in November 2012, has vowed to have the city budget balanced without the need to extend the Measure E tax.
“That budget has to be balanced in the next three years,” Velazquez said. “If not, we’ll be asking for your resignation. It’s important. I believe we can do it.”
Other council members did not address the mayor’s comments.
The night otherwise carried a mostly positive tenor as other council members stressed that Avera had competition for the job before they unanimously approved the longtime planning official to Hollister’s top day-to-day post.
Before the approval on the three-year deal, Councilman Robert Scattini noted there were 12 candidates interviewed. In the meantime, Avera has been serving as interim city manager since the man he is permanently succeeding, former City Manager Clint Quilter, resigned last July. 
Councilman Ray Friend told Avera he didn’t appear to want the job early on in the hiring process, but that he “jumped on the opportunity.”
Avera is scheduled to make $165,000 annually plus benefits, according to the contract. That would be an increase over Quilter’s last salary of $134,355. The deal is for three years, while he would receive six months of severance if terminated, according to the contract.
After a vote on the contract – an outside negotiator represented the city – Avera spoke about his appointment and called the city staff “excellent.”
“I’m only going to be as successful as they allow me to be,” he said.
He said his primary focus is to “make sure you guys, the council, always looks good.”
He said he believes if employees enjoy their jobs, they get more done.
“We have a long way to go with that, but we’ll take baby steps,” he said.