Program - Escondido City Manager Jeff Epp

Longtime Escondido City Attorney Jeffery Epp was named city manager of Escondido on May 3rd. Jeff began his career with the City of Escondido in 1985. From 1985 – 1996, he held the titles of Deputy, Senior and Assistant City Attorney.  In 1996, he was promoted to City Attorney. Prior to working for the City of Escondido, Mr. Epp served as a prosecutor for the City Attorney’s Office in Cheyenne, Wyoming. 

Mr. Epp obtained his undergraduate degree in political science and Juris Doctorate from the University of Wyoming.  He has also been active in the community holding the following positions: Escondido Sunrise Rotary Club, (Member and President), Grace Lutheran Church and Schools (President), Boy Scout Troop 649 (Assistant Scoutmaster), San Diego County City Attorney’s Association (President), California State Bar Public Law Section Executive Committee, San Diego Municipal Attorney of the Year (2004), League of California Cities, Policy Committee on Transportation and Public Works.

He spoke on the City Council's Action Plan, the City's key challenges and gave us updates on current projects. Epp said he is working with the council on a number of things to improve the “safety and appearance and viability and dynamics of our city.” He noted that the police and fire departments are fully staffed for the first time in many years, and hopes that will help reduce overtime. He also noted he was committed to resolving pension issues, but noted that many of the budgetary concerns of the City are impacted by State-level mandates. He spoke of improving efficiency in the city, giving the example of the Report It app, which allows citizens to report graffitti, pot holes and other civic concerns directly to the city. The problems were being addressed and resolved rapidly, but because of unclear workflows, reports back to the citizens were delayed. 

Jeff spoke about his future retirement at his family's bar in Wyoming, and the books he is ready to prepare himself for that challenge. Finally, he took questions from the audience and reinforced his commitment to helping Escondido continue to thrive.