Jason Simpson Appointed To Serve As Lake Elsinore City Manager

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — On March 1, Lake Elsinore will have a new city manager — one who's familiar with the territory.

Tuesday, the Lake Elsinore City Council voted to appoint Assistant City Manager Jason Simpson to the top job starting March 1. He will follow in the footsteps of current City Manager Grant Yates, who announced last month that he would retire at the end of February.

The City Council met in closed session to discuss the matter and directed the City Attorney to prepare an employment agreement for formal approval by the City Council at an upcoming meeting, a city statement read. According to the California State Controller's Office, Yates' total wages were $246,810 in 2019, the most recent year figures were available.

“Under Mr. Yates’ leadership, we have built an incredibly competent, high-performing organization that is committed to making a difference in our community each and every day,” Mayor Bob Magee said. “Mr. Simpson has earned this opportunity and we are confident in his abilities to ensure a smooth, seamless transition that will allow us to build on our past success, keep our team united, and get things done.”

Simpson has worked for the City of Lake Elsinore since February 2014 and was appointed to assistant city manager in 2015 under Yates. He has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the finance, engineering, public works, human resources, risk management and information systems departments. During his time, Simpson has also been involved with several key projects in the city including Rosetta Canyon Sports Park, Launch Pointe, Dream Extreme Neighborhood Center, Camino Del Norte Extension, and others.

In total, Simpson has nearly 30 years of municipal experience serving in various management positions for the cities of Temecula, San Bernardino, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, Costa Mesa and Vallejo, according to the city.

“I am truly honored to have the overwhelming support of the City Council to lead this extraordinary organization and serve such an engaged community,” Simpson said. “I look forward to working with the City Council, staff and our citizens to fulfill our vision to become the ultimate lake destination.”

According to the city, Simpson has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Biola University. In addition, he is an active member of the California City Management Foundation, Government Finance Officers Association, California Municipal Finance Officers Association and the California Municipal Treasurers Association.