Murray Meets Hedgecock to Discuss Contract

Sylvester Murray, the choice of the San Diego City Council to succeed Ray Blair as city manager, visited San Diego Thursday to discuss the terms of his contract with Mayor Roger Hedgecock.

Hedgecock spokesman Mel Buxbaum said Murray, currently the city manager of Cincinnati, spent about two hours with the mayor before leaving San Diego Thursday afternoon.

He has not yet agreed to terms, Buxbaum said.

The mayor’s spokesman said Murray also met with John Lockwood, Blair’s longtime assistant, who has been acting city manager since June 27, when Blair left his job for health reasons. “He was not in town long,” Buxbaum said. “Only two or three hours, and that included lunch.” Buxbaum said Murray did not visit City Hall.

Hedgecock had planned to introduce Murray at a press conference late this week. But Buxbaum said that would not occur until Murray agrees to the city’s money offer and his contract is ratified by the council.

The council has given Hedgecock charge of negotiating Murray’s contract for the city.

Murray earned $80,000 annually as city manager of Cincinnati, a post he held since 1979. In the proposed city budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, $86,341 is set aside for the city manager’s salary. But that amount could change when the City Council approves the final fiscal 1985-86 budget.

Barring a snag in the negotiations, Murray is scheduled to begin work in San Diego in early September. He was the unanimous choice of the council, which considered six finalists for the manager’s job before voting Tuesday to offer it to Murray.