Alameda’s John Russo Tapped for Riverside City Manager Position

Alameda City Manager John Russo is moving to Southern California to assume the same position in the City of Riverside. Riverside officials made the announcement Thursday, with Mayor Rusty Bailey calling him a committed and knowledgeable professional who stood out among a pool of exceptional candidates.

Russo will assume the new role May 4 at an annual salary of $295,000—the highest salary ever given to a manager of that city. As of 2011, when Russo was first hired as Alameda’s city manager, he was earning $215,000.

“I think he’s going to be a high-octane city manager who likes to get things done,” said Riverside City Council Member Jim Perry. That assumption was affirmed by Russo, who said he plans to bring a level of decisiveness to the table which is too often lacking in government.

Russo is a New York native with a degree in political science and economics from Yale University and a law degree from New York University. Before coming to Alameda, he served as a council member and as city attorney in Oakland.

Russo will take over from interim city manager Lee McDougal. The city’s last permanent city manager, Scott Barber, retired last year after skirmishes with some of the city’s council members. The transition is just one of many recent changes in leadership at City Hall.

Read more about the transition here.