Chris Huot has officially signed a four-year contract as the new city manager of Paso Robles.
Huot, who previously served as assistant city manager and interim city manager, says his transition into the role has been fairly easy.
"I love the tight-knit community here in terms of the people," he said. "I'm just so excited that I've been asked to lead the organization, and I take this job so very seriously, and I look forward to just doing a great job with my time here."
While former city manager Ty Lewis left under unusual circumstances, Huot says it hasn't distracted city leaders from their responsibilities.
"911 calls still need to be responded to, wastewater still needs to be treated... our streets still need work and all that is happening so there has been no lack of continuity in terms of the services being provided," Huot said.
Huot's annual base salary starts at $269,000 for four years. Former city manager Ty Lewis made $221,000 annually, while Atascadero City Manager Jim Lewis' current contract states he's making $263,000 annually.
Looking ahead, Huot plans to reinstitute the Coffee with the City Manager series and launch a resident academy that will allow community members to learn about everyday city operations.
