Pinole's City Council has thrown its weight behind former San Francisco city administrator Naomi Kelly, voting unanimously on Tuesday to make her the city's next city manager despite a long-running City Hall corruption probe that ensnared her family. Kelly will take office July 1 under a three-year agreement that pays $305,000 a year, a hire that has earned praise for her municipal experience and concern from critics who say the optics could be a headache for the small East Bay city.
Council Vote and Selection Process
The council voted 4-0 on Tuesday to name Kelly, with councilmember Norma Martinez-Rubin absent, according to the East Bay Times. The decision capped a national search run by recruitment firm Bob Hall & Associates that screened roughly 46 applicants and produced 10 finalists. A community screening panel reportedly did not recommend Kelly, yet city staffers and Mayor Anthony Tave backed the pick, and the council signed off on a three-year contract worth $305,000 annually.
From San Francisco to Pinole
Kelly's government career stretches back to 1997, when she worked as a legal analyst in the San Francisco mayor’s office and later moved into senior administrative roles in the city. She resigned from the San Francisco government in early 2021 amid a federal investigation into several city officials; she was not charged, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. After leaving City Hall, she ran NK Strategies, a planning and public relations consultancy, and she holds a law degree from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree from New York University.
Corruption Case That Shadows the Hire
The controversy in Pinole stems from the conviction of Kelly's husband, Harlan Kelly, the former general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, who was found guilty in July 2023 on bribery and related bank fraud charges. Prosecutors at trial described gifts and benefits, including discounted construction work and paid family travel, that they said helped steer contract awards, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. Court records and city documents show Harlan Kelly was later sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay fines, and he is appealing the conviction per San Francisco public integrity records.
Pinole's Calculus: Experience Over Optics
Pinole officials have framed the hire as a practical, even necessary, choice. Council members said the city needs a manager with experience handling capital programs, procurement and tight budgets. The community screening panel's reservations and critics' concerns were weighed against what supporters described as Kelly's track record on large municipal projects and contract oversight. For a city with limited staff and long deferred projects, council members said they prioritized a candidate who could step directly into budget work and capital planning.
Legal Implications
Prosecutors' trial record described benefits to the Kelly family, and local reporting noted that federal authorities outlined evidence that defendants provided travel and home repair benefits. Naomi Kelly herself has not been charged, per the East Bay Times. Kelly told reporters it was hard to hear people rely on an indictment when the topic came up. Legally, Harlan Kelly's federal case remains separate, but Naomi Kelly is stepping into a public-facing municipal role that will almost certainly draw extra scrutiny from residents and watchdogs.
What Comes Next
Kelly is scheduled to begin on July 1 at Pinole City Hall, where leaders say her first priorities will be shoring up budgets and moving long-stalled capital projects forward. Residents and regional observers say they will be watching to see whether her deep experience in big city government translates into measurable progress for the roughly 18,500-person city.
