Letter to the Editor — What’s the End Goal? Clayton Needs an Updated General Plan

CLAYTON, CA (Dec. 18, 2024) — The City of Clayton has had nine City Managers since 2019. Within the last five years, Clayton has had the highest City Manager turnover rate in the East Bay Area and among the highest in the entire State.

Without consistent leadership and oversight, the City will struggle with achieving long-term goals and projects. What makes Clayton’s situation uniquely troublesome is that the City’s Long-Term Plan (General Plan) is incredibly outdated — most elements in the plan have not been updated since 2002.

An indicator of a healthy local government is a robust general plan, created with extensive community outreach, with the public weighing in on topics such as the importance of open space, economic diversification, access to recreation, and growth management.

If history indicates the future, the City may continue to have a high turnover with City Mangers. But with an updated Long-Term Plan, at least Clayton will have a better sense of direction, and new managers will come in with steps clearly outlined.

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