By Khalida Sarwari
Saratoga community development director James Lindsay has been appointed to hold the city’s top position of city manager.
Lindsay replaces Dave Anderson, who is retiring on July 23 after 14 years as Saratoga’s city manager.
The city manager serves as the main contact for the mayor and city council and provides guidance and oversight to the city’s staff in fulfilling the council’s objectives. Lindsay said he aspired to the position after Anderson announced in January that he was stepping down.
“Growing up and raising my family nearby has enabled me to maintain a close connection to the city, and an appreciation for Saratoga’s values and strong sense of community,” he said.
The city council announced Lindsay’s appointment at a meeting on July 2. According to Mayor Emily Lo, the council received close to 50 applications for the position and worked with the executive recruitment firm Avery and Associates to conduct multiple interviews before ultimately selecting Lindsay.
Among a pool of several qualified and talented candidates, Lindsay appeared to be “the best fit for Saratoga,” Lo said.
“As our community development director, he has demonstrated the ability to work collaboratively, engage residents and uphold the values of our community,” she said. “The city council is excited to work with James and will support him to ensure his success in his new position as city manager.”
Lindsay said he will be building on the foundation that Anderson established during his tenure. Among his first priorities, Lindsay said, will be to work closely with the council to identify service enhancements and ways to engage Saratoga residents.
As community development director, he was instrumental in expanding hours at the city’s public services counter, where residents can apply for a building permit or find information about issues such as zoning.
“Now when I have the broader perspective of city manager, I’ll be looking for opportunities similar to that,” Lindsay said.
Lindsay will be paid an annual salary of $200,000.
During his tenure in Saratoga, Lindsay oversaw several key projects, including an overhaul of the city’s sign regulations, completion of a new design review handbook for residential construction, update to the city’s General Plan noise element and ordinance, and implementation of a downtown outdoor music program. He is currently managing the update of the housing element.
Lindsay is responsible for finding his own successor, but gave no indication of when he would be opening the recruitment process.
“As I step into the role of city manager, I’ll be evaluating the right time to open the position for the community development director,” he said.
Lindsay has 22 years of local government experience. Prior to being hired in Saratoga in October 2011, he worked as the planning and neighborhood services director for the city of Milpitas. He also has private sector experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from San Jose State University.
Lindsay lives with his wife, a registered nurse, and four children, including two sons and two daughters ranging in age from 8 to 24, in San Jose.
His first day as city manager will be July 24.
