San Diego Appoints New Chief Operating Officer
The appointment ends a 20-month dual-role period for the mayor and restores professional oversight to city operations.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in People
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Mayor Todd Gloria has appointed Bethany Bezak as chief operating officer to oversee San Diego's day-to-day city operations. The appointment follows a period where the mayor held the COO responsibilities personally after firing the previous officeholder earlier in 2025.
Why it matters
The transition aims to stabilize city administration following a trash over-billing scandal and a $150 million budget deficit. Replacing the mayor in this role marks a return to standard executive oversight for the city's 12,000 employees and $6 billion budget.
San Diego operates with a $6 billion budget and 12,000 employees, managing a $150 million deficit recorded when the previous COO was dismissed. The former COO earned an annual salary of $401,000 during their tenure.
The players
Todd Gloria
The Mayor of San Diego who assumed direct control of city operations after firing his previous chief operating officer.
Bethany Bezak
The appointee for chief operating officer who previously led the city's Transportation and Stormwater departments.
Eric Dargan
The former chief operating officer whose tenure concluded after the city faced a $150 million deficit.
Henry Foster
A City Councilmember who voiced criticism of the mayor's administrative management last month.
The details
As COO, Bezak will assume direct management over municipal services, a role Mayor Gloria performed for 20 months after the departure of Eric Dargan. Bezak, 44, previously led the city's Transportation Department, which employs 550 staff, and the Stormwater Department. The appointment requires confirmation by the City Council, which oversees the effective allocation of city resources across departments.
Timeline
2020-2023: Bezak served in the Stormwater Department.
2023-2025: Bezak led the Transportation Department.
Early 2025: Mayor fired Eric Dargan and assumed COO duties.
Monday: City Council is scheduled to vote on confirmation.
Market Landscape
This appointment follows the administrative restructuring efforts necessitated by the San Diego trash over-billing scandal. The move marks an effort to stabilize city governance after a significant period of mayoral dual-role management.
Business owners in San Diego should monitor the transition in city leadership for potential shifts in municipal service delivery and permitting speed. The City Council vote on Monday serves as the final procedural step before the new COO assumes authority over city operations.
The takeaway
Operators should monitor the Monday confirmation vote as a signal of the City Council's alignment with the mayor's ongoing recovery plan. Tracking municipal efficiency metrics across departments will be essential as new leadership stabilizes the $6 billion budget environment.
Further reading
For more on administrative leadership changes, visit People.
Source note: This article includes information reported by San Diego Union-Tribune.
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