New city manager takes the reins in Galt
Lorenzo Hines most recently worked for the City of Pacifica
GALT — While he’s lived in large cities on the East Coast, in the Midwest and in the South, Galt’s new city manager said small towns have always seemed to be a better fit for his career.
Lorenzo Hines Jr. took over as Galt’s city manager on Aug.
31, and said while he kind of hit the ground running his first few days, he already feels like he’s at home.
Hines is coming from the City of Pacifica, where he served as the coastal community’s assistant city manager for four years.
Pacifica and Galt are similar kinds of towns, he said, both in population and the kind of residents that inhabit the community. Both cities have a warm, welcoming feel to them, and both have the potential for economic and residential growth.
“(Galt) is just a little bit smaller,” he said. “But I tend to do my best work in smaller communities where grassroots are the strongest. Pacifica fit me pretty well and allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, and I hope to do that here.”
Born In Washington, D.C., Hines has lived in St. Louis, Mo., and Greensboro, N.C., and has worked as finance director in the communities of Edmonds, Wash., and Lynwood, Wash., both of which are just north of Seattle.
He has also worked for King County in Washington as its chief finance officer, as well as the California Secretary of State as the chief of the management services division.
Hines said the cities in which he resided before his career began have helped define the person and manager he is today.
“I learned the power of collaboration, even though there were issues with the different factions, in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “So I took that knowledge with me. Growing up in St. Louis, I developed a plain-speaking style, which is common in the Midwest, and I’ve used that kind of style nearly my whole life. I try to stay humble and act as a gentleman should, and of course, that’s typical of the South. So all three of those areas really shaped me.”
Hines attended the University of North Carolina, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He then moved on to Seattle, where he attended the University of Washington and obtained a master’s degree in business administration.
After landing positions in city management near Seattle, Hines said the next natural progression was to become an assistant city manager, and Pacifica recruited him.
When Galt announced it was looking for city manager, Hines said it was almost like a homecoming to be given the opportunity.
It helped that Hines was already familiar with the areas surrounding Galt, as he had lived in Elk Grove during his tenure with the California Secretary of State’s office. While he had not really spent a great amount of time in Galt during his first tenure in California, he knew of its small town appeal.
“(Galt is) a great town with a great history and a Midwestern sensibility that appeals to me,” he said. “It’s also a town whose trajectory continues in an upward direction. My underlying job is to help move the city along this upward course in a way that reflects the needs and desires of the community.”
He attributed Galt’s upward trajectory is due, in part, to the exodus underway from the San Francisco Bay Area, as many retirees move to begin a new life, and many young families attempt to escape the escalating housing costs.
Galt is not alone in its plan to expand and increase population, Hines said, as Elk Grove, Lodi and Sacramento continue to approve new housing projects as Bay Area residents arrive.
“Managing growth in our residential and commercial sectors and ensuring the pace of growth reflects the desires of the community (is one of my goals as city manager),” he said. “Also, I’m focusing on expanding our commercial base to ensure that families who dwell here have options for food and entertainment. And, always ensuring we maintain efficient and effective city services for the community.”
Within his first month as city manager, Hines has already begun to manage Galt’s growth as the city council approves plans for three major residential developments, including Summerfield at Twin Cities Road, the Notch Annexation at Simmerhorn Ranch, and the Fairway Oaks and County Island Annexation.
Hines said his overall approach to serving the residents of Galt is to treat people with respect and empathy, work hard, be true to his word and always maintain the highest degree of integrity.
With his bachelor’s degree in accounting, Hines is a Certified Public Accountant. He’s also a member of the International City/County Management Association and its affiliated Black Public Administrators, as well as the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.
He has two adult daughters, one of which is attending his alma mater in Greensboro, and the other is a video editor in San Diego.
Hines takes over for interim city manager Thomas Haglund, who was appointed to the post following the resignation of Eugene Palazzo in April 2019.