City Manager to Become Santa Barbara Official

James Armstrong, 48, city manager for nine years, is expected to leave in October to become city administrator in Santa Barbara, Fullerton officials said.

Though the Santa Barbara City Council still must officially approve Armstrong's hiring, Fullerton officials said he was a unanimous choice in a closed-door session.

"He's going to be greatly missed, but this was just too good an opportunity for him to pass up," Fullerton spokeswoman Sylvia Palmer Mudrick said.

The Fullerton City Council will probably name an interim city manager until it selects a permanent one, Mudrick said.