Features

Finance Department Head Resigns, Takes Hayward Post

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday August 22, 2006

After more than a decade crunching numbers as the head of Berkeley’s Finance Department, E. Frances David will be making a shift south to become assistant city manager in Hayward. 

Her resignation follows a few other notable departures of city staff in recent weeks. Earlier this summer, City Clerk Sara Cox resigned to become Napa’s city clerk, and Tom Myers, acting economic development manager, tendered his resignation last month. 

David’s last day in Berkeley is Sept. 15; she will begin her job in Hayward 10 days later. During her time off, David said she’ll be celebrating her mother’s 100th birthday. 

David came to the city as assistant to the city manager in the Planning Department in 1993 and transferred to finance as acting director in 1996. Before working in Berkeley, David was chief of staff for Oakland Councilmember Dezie Woods-Jones. 

Calling her new position an “opportunity,” David said during her time in Berkeley, she’s been able to “grow and learn.” 

Among its duties, the Finance Department is charged with providing information to city government on accounting, investing and debt financing. It oversees procurement and parking citations. 

Deputy City Manager Lisa Caronna, acting as city manager while Phil Kamlarz is on vacation, credited David with the re-organization of her department and providing accurate revenue projections. She said David was responsible for centralizing purchasing and creating savings in that division. 

Caronna said that the city always looks at a change of management as an opportunity to make changes. She noted, however, that it was too early to comment on what those changes might be. She also could not say who would take over as acting manager. 

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington said he hoped the city would find a manager who would upgrade the city’s on-line possibilities, including the ability to fight parking tickets on line. 

Calling David a “good manager,” community activist Barbara Allen of Budget Watch commented: “Fran David followed through and always got back to us with information.”