California City’s top administrator Doug Dunford has resigned just four months after he was appointed to the position. The shocking announcement came last week. No formal date for his departure was given.
Dunford took over on May 2 following the resignation of Interim City Attorney Anne Ambrose. He had previously served as city manager of Gustine.
Dunford’s departure comes amid upheaval in California City government. As the Antelope Valley Press notes, “Cal City has been without most department heads for several months, with openings for finance director, public works director, police chief and planning director.”
High turnover and unstable leadership were cited in a scathing June report from the Kern County Grand Jury. That report said California City management was “in crisis mode” and laid out a series of recommendations to improve operations.