San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
NATIONAL CITY EXTENDS INTERIM ATTORNEY CONTRACT
Post became vacant after Charles Bell was appointed judge
National City council members last week approved extending the contract for the interim city attorney.
Attorney Barry Schultz started his role in July when the city entered into a twomonth agreement for $50,000 with Devaney Pate Morris and Cameron, LLP, the firm in which he is a partner.
Schultz joined the city attorney’s office after Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed former city attorney Charles Bell Jr. as a San Diego Superior Court judge in June.
National City and the firm proposed to extend the contract for six months through February and pay Schultz an additional $162,000 for a total of $212,000, according to the agreement. Council members unanimously approved the move.
“Given the short time the city had to respond to Mr. Bell’s appointment as a judge, the original contract had a short initial period,” Schultz said via email. “The amendment will now provide the council with sufficient time to consider appointing a permanent city attorney.”
A permanent hire should occur around the end of the year, he added.
If the city finds an attorney before February, Schultz’s contract would terminate, according to the terms of the agreement.
Schultz, who has been practicing municipal law for more than 10 years, also currently serves as assistant city attorney for Del Mar and has previously held the same title for the cities of Encinitas and Murrieta in Riverside County. He has lectured on urban design and economics at the University of California, San Diego and served on the San Diego Planning Commission from 2001 through 2009.
Earlier this year, he sought to become chairperson of the Community Planners Committee, a board representing San Diego’s communities. He withdrew his consideration upon accepting the National City role.
tammy.murga@sduniontribune.com