GILROY
– Lanny Brown says he
”
seriously considered
”
applying for the vacant police chief position in Morgan Hill,
but has decided to remain assistant chief in Gilroy.
GILROY – Lanny Brown says he “seriously considered” applying for the vacant police chief position in Morgan Hill, but has decided to remain assistant chief in Gilroy.
Brown ultimately decided he likes his situation in Gilroy too much to switch, he said Wednesday.
“After considering it, I decided it wasn’t for me,” Brown said. “This is my community. … This is where I live, work and play.”
Aside from his fondness for Garlic City, Brown figured he would have had to take a pay cut in Morgan Hill, despite the promotion in rank. The Gilroy Police Department has a budget of more than $15 million this fiscal year while the Morgan Hill Police Department’s budget is $6.6 million.
While Morgan Hill has less than 45 percent of Gilroy’s police budget, it has more the three-quarters of Gilroy’s 45,000 residents.
Brown said acquaintances of his in Morgan Hill informally suggested that he try out for the job.
The MHPD has been operating with interim chief Bruce Cumming formerly of Menlo Park, since Jerold Galvin retired on Dec. 31.
City officials will begin recruiting potential candidates in the next month or so, according to City Manager Ed Tewes, who said never talked to Brown about the job.
