by Laura Garber
Former Manhattan Beach Councilmember Steve Napolitano began his first day as Hermosa Beach City Manager on December 10 following a 4-1 City Council vote from the council’s meeting the previous evening.
“I’m so grateful he took the job,” said Councilmember Michael Keegan. “He’s qualified. He’s got the right disposition.”
Councilmember Ray Jackson cast the dissenting vote. But even he expressed confidence in Napolitano’s fit for the job.
“As I’ve said many times to Steve, to staff, and to the public, Steve will do fine as city manager,” Jackson said. “He’s affable, he’s smart, he’s capable, and let’s not forget, he’s inheriting an all-star team.”
Jackson voted against the hiring, however, due to his concerns about Napolitano’s salary and experience in comparison to Suja Lowenthal, the former City Manager who resigned on May 8, 2025, after nearly seven years.
“Steve is only here because the newly empowered council installed him without even the pretense of a fair, open, or honest process,” he said. “They pushed aside the highly qualified leader, already doing the job, and cleared the way for their preferred local guy. Who was, by every objective measure, less qualified, and then handed him a compensation package far beyond his limited experience.”
Napolitano will receive an annual salary of $270,000, plus benefits on a three-year term, according to Tiffany Nguyen, the City’s Human Resources Manager.
“It was always considered too much money when Hermosa Beach was paying the female city manager, after seven years, her compensation,” Jackson said. “Yet it’s not too much for the less qualified guy.”
Lowenthal’s base salary in 2025 was $281,376. She also received a $19,000 performance bonus, according to city records. Councilmember Dean Francois was the dissenting vote for Lowenthal’s performance bonus.
“I think we have a big advantage by having Steve on our team,” Keegan said at the Dec. 9 meeting. “We have some of the toughest fiscal times we’re going to face in our 120-year history.”
Keegan expressed concern about the upcoming renewal of the City’s contracts with Los Angeles County for beach maintenance and lifeguard services.
“Steve has the numbers of at least 20 people in the county in his contact list already,” Keegan said. “Do you think we would have done better with some stranger from out of the state, or do you think we would have done better with Steve Napolitano? That’s what needed to be recognized. We have a leader within us that can help us achieve what we need to achieve in the next couple years.”
Napolitano became the interim city manager in late May, following a 3-2 City Council vote.
Councilmembers Michael Detoy and Jackson said they voted against his appointment as interim city manager because they disapproved of the appointment process.
According to Nguyen, a nationwide search by executive recruiting firm Peckham and McKenney received 56 applications and interviewed three candidates for the city manager position.
Council voted to retain the recruiting firm for $30,000 during a July council meeting.
Napolitano will oversee 150 full-time City employees and a $55.5 million annual budget.
Napolitano, 59, is an attorney with over 30 years in civic government, including five terms on the Manhattan Beach City Council and 12 years as Senior Deputy to former Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe. He was the youngest person ever elected to the Manhattan Beach City Council, at age 26, in 1992.
“It’s been an interesting trip,” Napolitano said. “I’ve put this city first each and every day for the last six months, and that’s exactly what I’ll do going forward. I appreciate the opportunity and the honor of serving what I consider my second hometown.” ER
Jackson voted against Napolitano? No surprise there. He was the one who dismissed fines imposed by Hermosa Beach against residents with Airbnb rentals, and Jackson can’t abide that.
Yes, Steve is very capable and one has to wonder why he’s taken this job. There’s nothing in it for him. The first thing he needs to do is a full SUJ-ECTOMY and remove the SUJA bloat from the budget. Since he’s there, he should clean up the mess SUJA left.