The San Diego City Council on Monday unanimously approved Bethany Bezak as the city’s new chief operating officer, ending more than a year in which Mayor Todd Gloria assumed responsibility for the role.

Members of the public, along with bureaucrats who have worked with Bezak during her seven-year stint with the city, described her as hard working, no-nonsense and thoughtful.

“I selected Bethany to be the city’s new chief operating officer because she is a proven leader who understands this organization, respects the employees who keep our city running and has the experience and judgment to turn priorities into results,” Gloria said.

She will be paid $460,000, and her benefits package increases the total to $541,000. The council voted 8-0 to approve Bezak, with Councilman Stephen Whitburn absent.

In February 2025, Gloria cut 31 positions from the city government, intending to save taxpayers around $5.3 million annually. One of those positions slashed was the city’s chief operating officer, a position then held by Eric Dargan.

Some of those speaking at Monday’s meeting said the appointment of a new COO was overdue.

Councilman Henry Foster III, recently one of Gloria’s biggest critics, asked Bezak about her plans for equity, fairness and transparency before backing her. He also used his time to sharply criticize the mayor.

“This administration continues to have challenges,” he said, describing Gloria’s office as making misstep after misstep, including last month’s trash fee debacle, in which more than 87,000 city residents were incorrectly billed for solid waste services.

“Hiring a COO now does not undo the trash fee disaster, it just means that someone else has to clean up after the mayor,” Foster said.

Bezak’s career began in San Diego’s city government as part of the stormwater department. From 2020 to 2023, she served in successive leadership roles in that department, eventually serving as director. From 2023 to 2025, Bezak served as director of the transportation department before transitioning to her final role before becoming COO – performance and logistics officer overseeing the city’s transportation, general services, purchasing and contracting, among other departments.

Bezak holds bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering and architecture from Lawrence Technological University and a master’s degree in biological systems engineering from Virginia Tech.