SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego City Councilmembers unanimously confirmed a new chief operating officer to oversee city operations after recent pushback against Mayor Todd Gloria’s decisions while functioning in both roles.
Bethany Bezak, a longtime civil servant for the city, will now oversee the day-to-day operations and report directly to Mayor Gloria, the mayor’s office announced in a news release Monday.
“I selected Bethany to be the City’s new Chief Operating Officer because she is a proven leader who understands this organization, respects the employees who keep our city running and has the experience and judgment to turn priorities into results,” said Mayor Gloria in the news release.
Previously, the mayor and COO roles functioned separately, but last year Mayor Gloria eliminated the role and assumed its responsibilities to help address the city’s massive budget deficit.
The move marked the first time in nearly a century that the city did not have some form of manager aside from the mayor, according to reporting from Voice of San Diego.
It also forced the city to settle a $146,000 lawsuit with former Chief Operating Officer Eric Dargan, who said the city failed to pay him three months’ severance as outlined in his contract following the abrupt elimination of his position.
“Going forward, this means the city’s executive team will report directly to me. I’m also consolidating the office of COO, Department of Government Affairs, the Office of Boards and Commissions into the Office of the Mayor,” Mayor Gloria said of the transition in February of 2025.
However, after an incident last month where approximately 87,000 San Diego households were overcharged for trash services on their property tax bills, City Council called on the mayor to take a step back from overseeing the city’s operations.
In some cases, residents received bills that were $1,000 or more over what they owed.
“The mayor needs to admit he’s made a mistake. Hire an operations professional like every other city around us. The mayor promised us he’d save about $400,000 if he did it himself; it’s cost us more than that,” said District 7 councilmember Raul Campillo in an interview in September.
On Oct. 15, Mayor Gloria announced that he was appointing Bezak to take over as the city’s COO, a move that was then confirmed by City Council Monday.
“When I assumed direct oversight of City operations, my priority was to stabilize our finances and strengthen the organization,” said Mayor Gloria in a news release. “We have made substantial progress. Bethany’s appointment builds on that foundation, with a clear charge to sustain our fiscal discipline, support our employees and improve the services San Diegans rely on.”
Before taking on the role of COO, Bezak served as the director of the Stormwater Department and then as the head of the Transportation Department from 2023 to 2025.
“Every day, thousands of City employees show up before sunrise and dedicate themselves to serving our residents,” said Berzak. As Chief Operating Officer, my commitment is to support them, remove barriers to success, and ensure we deliver the high-quality services our communities deserve.”
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