Carlsbad hires new city manager

Carlsbad taps new city manager; Encinitas city manager resigns after election; Sanchez wins tight election to remain as mayor

Carlsbad City Manager Scott Chadwick announced on Nov. 21 he is leaving the city to become the next chief executive officer at the Port of San Diego. The City Council hired Geoff Patnoe as the new city manager on Tuesday. File photo

CARLSBAD — The City Council wasted no time in hiring a new city manager.

The council tapped Assistant City Manager Geoff Patnoe to lead the city after current City Manager Scott Chadwick announced on Nov. 21 he was hired as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port of San Diego. Patnoe starts on Dec. 19, while Chadwick begins his new gig on Jan. 5, according to statements from the city.

Also, Encinitas City Manager Pam Antil announced her resignation on Nov. 20 during a special meeting. Assistant City Manager Jennifer Campbell is the acting city manager, according to reports.

Patnoe was hired by the city in March 2020 and helped lead the city through the pandemic and a local emergency in 2022 relating to e-bikes and cars after two high-profile deaths. He led the city’s traffic safety efforts after a 200% increase in bike collisions prompted the city to declare a local emergency, according to a press release from the city. A year later, injury collisions involving e-bikes were down 18%.

“I am deeply honored to be entrusted with the role of city manager and to continue to serve this incredible community,” Patnoe said. “We have a great team in place, and together we will work hard every day to deliver an exceptional level of service to our residents and businesses.”