Gardena Council Surprised : City Manager Resigns Abruptly

GARDENA —  City Manager Martin H. Reagan, citing a desire to escape the pressures of his job, has resigned effective immediately.

Reagan, 61, informed city officials of his decision to leave last week at a closed-door meeting with the City Council. Because of the abruptness of his resignation, which apparently caught council members by surprise, Reagan said he will serve as a consultant to the city until June.

Kenneth Landau, 30, Gardena’s assistant city manager, will serve as acting city manager until a permanent replacement for Reagan is named. Landau joined the city seven years ago as an administrative aide and has served as assistant city manager for the past three years.

Reagan, a former corporate attorney and labor negotiator, was appointed city manager in March, 1983. He joined the city in 1980 as an administrator and was named acting city manager in October, 1982, when John Sheehan, then the city’s top administrator, died during surgery.

Job Pressures Cited

Reagan said he had not seriously contemplated stepping down from the $72,000-a-year post until several weeks ago. He said he enjoyed working with council members and other city employees, but decided that the job had taken its toll on him.

“To be frank about it, the pressures got to me,” Reagan said. “It’s just the various things that come up (in the job). Put them all together and lump them on one desk and it’s a little mound.”

“People would say I am an idiot,” he added, “I walked away from a darn good job.

Reagan said he would “relax for a while” before deciding any future plans.