Local government veteran and former city manager David Ready today confirmed plans to run for the Palm Springs City Council District 5 seat in 2024, having already filed the required forms with the city clerk and secretary of state.
Ready retired in 2021 as the longest-serving city manager in the Coachella Valley, after 21 years as Palm Springs city manager, serving under five mayoral administrations. During his tenure in Palm Springs the city’s annual budget increased from $20 million in 2000 to over $250 million in 2021. Ready also held the distinction of being the only city manager in the United States to have achieved both a Ph.D. degree and a law degree.
While commemorating Ready’s retirement during the March 25, 2021 Palm Springs City Council meeting, then-Mayor Christy Holstege said, “David has worked tirelessly for our city these past 20 years. His accomplishments with the past and present city councilmembers have truly resulted in a historic Palm Springs renaissance. He has been directly involved in the transformation of our city from a sleepy village to a global destination.”
Ready has publicly stated that he considers the revitalization of downtown Palm Springs to be one of his greatest accomplishments during his tenure as city manager, pointing to the new hotels and businesses along with the expanded Palm Springs Convention Center that in combination have transformed the city’s downtown into a hub for tourism that will always be a local economic driver.
It has been previously reported that during Ready’s 20 years with the city sales tax revenues increased fivefold, transient occupancy tax collections tripled and property taxes doubled.
Since his retirement, Ready has been working as an adjunct faculty member at Cal State San Bernardino and served briefly as interim city manager for other cities during leadership transitions.
Before coming to Palm Springs in 2000, Ready worked in municipal government in the Midwest, serving as city administrator for Flint, Michigan, and before that serving in multiple posts in Canton, Ohio. He is a known advocate for open and transparent government and civic engagement.
District 5 is currently held by Lisa Middleton, who is running for State Senate.
