Costa Mesa’s first permanent female city manager begins her tenure

Costa Mesa is under the control of a new city manager. She is Costa Mesa’s eighth city manager since the city was incorporated in 1953 and the first woman permanently appointed to the position. Farrell Harrison comes to Costa Mesa from neighboring Huntington Beach, where she had been the assistant city manager since 2017 and the chief financial officer for seven years before that. Costa Mesa officially hires Lori Ann Farrell Harrison as its eighth city manager » She replaces Tamara Letourneau, who filled in after Tom Hatch’s departure in November. “We look forward to working with her to restore our neighborhoods and parks, make our community safer, develop plans for economic stability and environmental sustainability and increase community engagement.” Farrell Harrison said at Tuesday’s council meeting that she looks forward to working alongside the council, staff, residents and businesses to take “the city to its greatest heights.” “Welcome to the jungle — no, I’m just teasing,” Mayor Pro Tem John Stephens said in reference to the city’s reputation for rough-and-tumble politics.