Welcome to the City's Website!

The City of San Luis Obispo welcomes you to our website where we aim to provide a host of digital services to assist our residents, community members and visitors.  

Meet the City Manager

Whitney McDonald serves as City Manager for the City of San Luis Obispo and is a trusted and experienced leader in local government who understands the San Luis Obispo community and how to deliver excelled City services. 

Appointed unanimously by the City Council in August 2024, Whitney oversees City operations, a staff of over 480 employees and a total budget of about $225 million.

Whitney served the City for several months as Assistant City Manager, and then served as Interim City Manager after previous City Manager Derek Johnson’s departure in April 2024. Prior to joining the City of San Luis Obispo, she served municipal governments since 2007, with her most recent service being as the City Manager for Arroyo Grande.

She has demonstrated dedication to public service and the Council appreciates her willingness to step in and provide interim stability and leadership. She holds a Juris Doctorate from University of California, Los Angeles and Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Santa Barbara.

About the City Manager

The City of San Luis Obispo is a Charter City that operates under the Council-Mayor-City Manager form of government with a Mayor and four Council Members who are elected at-large. The Mayor is elected every two years, while Council Members are elected to staggered four-year terms. In November 2024, an election will be held for the Mayor and two Council Members. The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Attorney.

The City Manager serves the Mayor and City Council, community, and region with a collaborative, communicative, visionary, innovative, equitable, inclusive, and stable presence to achieve goals and priorities. The City Manager also works closely with community partners, local organizations, the school district, Cal Poly and other local colleges, and both County and State officials and agencies to advance the City Council’s vision, policy, and direction.

Moreover, with oversight of all citywide operations, the City Manager leads a team of experienced, high-performing, and dedicated local government professionals to accomplish City Council objectives, complete an aggressive Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and work plans, and ensure the delivery of day-to-day core responsibilities and public service.