The Twentynine Palms City Council will have the honor of appointing a new city manager and approving an employment agreement when it convenes in regular session on Tuesday, April 26.

Interim City Manager John Tooker announced today that Richard Warne of Livingston, CA, has been selected to fill the position vacated by former City Manager Michael Tree last November. Warne is expected to begin performing his duties on Monday, May 2, and will be compensated with a base salary of $171,500 annually, pending approval of the employment agreement by the City Council on April 26.

Warne has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and has more than 28 years of local government experience, most recently as city manager of Livingston since 2006. His professional background includes heavy involvement in community development and redevelopment. He has worked with cities to develop general plans; has negotiated development agreements with commercial, industrial, office, and residential developers; and has worked with several city councils to establish Development Impact Fees and manage annexation efforts.

Warne was selected out of 54 applications received by the City and screened by the Personnel Task Force, consisting of Mayor Jim Harris and Mayor pro tem John Cole. The list of applicants was narrowed to eight finalists, who were then interviewed by the City Council in a series of special meetings over the past two months.

Warne served as a captain in the U.S. Army and is married with six children. He and his family plan to relocate from northern California to Twentynine Palms.

The appointment is expected to take place at the City Council meeting Tuesday, April 26, beginning at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road.