The city manager of Desert Hot Springs announced his resignation Wednesday, effective July 21. Dale Mondary, the city’s current police chief—and former Sheriff’s captain in the Morongo Basin and a Yucca Valley resident—has been asked to take over as the interim city manager. Martin Magana had been the city’s community development director for about 4 ½ years, before he was hired by the city council in May 2014. He was the third city manager for Desert Hot Springs in a three-year period, and took over when the city was facing a half-million-dollar deficit. Under his contract, Magana’s annual salary was $152,000, with reviews every six months. His contract could be terminated at any time by either the city or by Magana with 30 days’ notice. Magana said in a press release he was leaving for “personal reasons.”
