Gilroy native Matt Morley, a 29-year veteran of local government service, is the city’s new city administrator following a seven-month search to fill the top position at City Hall.
The Gilroy City Council unanimously appointed Morley to the city administrator’s post at the Jan. 5 meeting.
Morley’s most recent employment was as the City Manager for Saratoga, to which he was appointed in 2024. He has previously served as Assistant City Manager and Public Works Director of Cupertino, and Parks & Public Works Director of Los Gatos. He began his career with the City of San Jose.
“I couldn’t pass it up when the opportunity came up, and I am glad you are showing the trust and faith in me to work with you to continue to run the City of Gilroy,” Morley said after the council voted for his Gilroy appointment.
Morley will begin his role on Feb. 9. Until then, Gilroy Finance Director Harjot Sangha will serve as Interim City Administrator.
Morley’s salary at Gilroy City Hall will include base pay of $339,000 annually, says the city staff report. Morley’s compensation package includes medical and dental benefits; $500 per month vehicle allowance; 44 hours of personal leave per year; and severance pay and benefits. The city’s total compensation costs for the City of Gilroy are about $459,000 annually.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Matt Morley to our team,” Mayor Greg Bozzo said in a statement. “His experience and leadership will help move Gilroy forward into a new, exciting chapter.”
Morley is a longtime Gilroyan who attended local schools and currently lives in the city. He added in a statement, “It is a true honor to serve as City Administrator for the City of Gilroy—the community where I grew up, raised my family, and call home today. I look forward to working with the city council, community, and dedicated city staff to ensure Gilroy grows as a wonderful place to live, work and visit.”
A staff report by Bozzo, who helped conduct the search for a new city administrator, said Morley is a high-energy, results-oriented leader with strong depth in local government operations,” says the staff report prepared by Mayor Greg Bozzo.
“He has a demonstrated ability to deliver programs with a focus on customer service. Further, his style is to create an optimized work environment that is aligned with the council’s policies and goals,” says the staff report.
Bozzo’s statement added that Morley has shown a focus on “stakeholder engagement,” economic development, public safety services and fiscal sustainability.
At the Jan. 5 meeting, council members commented on why they selected Morley, out of a field of 26 applicants for Gilroy’s city administrator.
“The quality of experience he has in a number of areas is going to be critical for us and what this council wants to do,” Council member Terence Fugazzi said.
Gilroy’s city administrator position became vacant at the end of July 2025, when former City Administrator Jimmy Forbis announced his retirement after about five years in that position. The council appointed Brad Kilger—a former city manager for a number of cities in the region—as interim city administrator.
During the recruitment for a new permanent city administrator, the council hired executive search firm Ralph Anderson & Associates to conduct the search.
A council subcommittee made up of Bozzo, Fugazzi and Dion Bracco focused on the recruitment process. The full seven-member council interviewed Morley and other applicants in closed session at the end of 2025.
“I’m not surprised you made it to the top…and going into that interview, you knocked it out,” Mayor Pro Tem Zach Hilton said at the Jan. 5 meeting. “You understand this is a 24/7 city—this is not a sleepy city anymore and I appreciate that.”
Council member Tom Cline told Morley, “It’s great that you’re part of the team now. I’m looking forward to working with you and making things better here in Gilroy.”
