The City Manager serves as the administrative head of city government and is responsible for the coordination and direction of all activities at the City within the framework of policies established by the City Council. The City Manager provides leadership to facilitate the effective delivery of municipal services, management of City operations, and the negotiation and administration of contracts. The City Manager also advises the City Council on policy and fiscal matters, and prepares the annual budget for City Council approval. The City Manager is hired directly by the City Council. All department heads report to the City Manager except for the City Attorney, who reports directly to the City Council.
Ben Siegel has served as San Juan Capistrano's City Manager since February 2016. He has over 20 years of municipal management experience and previously worked for the cities of Laguna Beach, Lake Forest and Encinitas. Ben is passionate about making government more efficient and improving service delivery to San Juan Capistrano's diverse resident and business community. He has extensive knowledge in the areas of land use and development, transportation and public infrastructure. Ben earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from UCLA, a Master of Public Administration Degree from Cal State Fullerton, and a certificate in Construction and Development Management from UC Irvine. He previously served on the Advisory Board for the Master of Public Administration program at Cal State Fullerton and created the City Management Fellowship Program, which enables high-performing graduate students to learn directly from local city managers outside of the typical classroom environment. He received the Stewardship Award from the Municipal Management Association of Southern California in recognition of his contributions to the profession.