New city attorney selected by Simi council

April 29--Lonnie Eldridge has been selected as the new city attorney for Simi Valley.

Eldridge, 45, was appointed after a unanimous vote during Monday night's council meeting, ending a seven-month search.

Since Sept., members of the city's staff had been looking for a new city attorney to fill the position left vacant by Marjorie Baxter, who resigned in lieu of possibly being fired over a nearly $20,000 insurance settlement the city paid unnecessarily. Elridge will begin working for the city of Simi Valley on June 10.

Deputy City Attorney Sonia Hehir has served as acting city attorney while the council conducted a search.

Eldridge was one of three finalists selected from a pool of 28 people who applied for the position through recruitment firm Peckham & McKenney, of Roseville. The agreement between Eldridge and the city calls for an annual salary of $195,000, nearly $20,000 higher than Baxter's salary of $177,000.

The agreement also includes a $4,800 annual vehicle allowance and other benefits, including cost-of-living adjustments, officials said in a city staff report. He will also be paid $3,500 for moving expenses to establish residency in Simi Valley within three months, the report states

"One of the things that impressed all of us was that he and his family really like our town and we're really excited of having you join our city," councilman Glen Becerra said Monday night.

Councilman Keith Mashburn called Eldridge's salary an investment to better serve the city of Simi Valley.

"Since I've been on the council I've learned how important and what a tough job the city attorney has to be," Mashburn said. ..."I'm amazed at the amount of work a city attorney has to do so when it came time to make a decision on who it obviously had to be the best."

Eldridge now works as a Los Angeles deputy city attorney in the areas of technology, contracts, municipal auditing and finance, and renewable-energy contracts. He previously worked as a criminal prosecutor in his hometown of San Diego for the San Diego City Attorney's Office and in the private sector law firm Latham & Watkins.

He has an undergraduate bachelor's degree in computer science from Standford University and a Juris Doctorate from UCLA, where he served as a member of the UCLA Law Review.

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