Longtime Irvine City Manager Sean Joyce announced today his plan to retire in February 2018. 

Joyce, 54, has served as Irvine City Manager since 2005. He has worked for four California cities, also serving as City Manager in Sierra Madre and South Pasadena. This month is his 30-year anniversary in public service. The City Council will determine the selection process for his replacement. 

“We are entrusted to deliver upon an implicit promise we make to provide the type of services and public amenities that the City’s residents, businesses, and visitors expect,” Joyce said in describing his daily approach. “And those services are extended with empathy and a deep sense of purpose.” 

One of the biggest challenges during Joyce’s tenure was the Great Recession. He proposed a response to those difficult times, and the City Council adopted a Bridge Plan in 2009. The “Four Pillars” approach made use of reserves set aside to maintain services to the community. The pillars were: no tax increases; no reduction of core services; no staff layoffs; and no pay raises. 

This year, the City of Irvine was ranked No. 1 in a Fiscal Health Index by The Fiscal Times, a sign of the gradual improvement of the local economy and the positive impact from Irvine’s three biggest revenue generators – sales tax, property tax, and hotel tax. The perfect Fiscal Health Index score was one of many accolades during the past dozen years. 

Joyce said that he will begin his retirement by focusing more time with his family and pursuing other interests.