Sarah Gorman, Esq.

The city of Santa Clarita will have to find someone new to keep track of its public records and run it elections.

After just a two-year stint as Santa Clarita’s city clerk, Sarah Gorman is taking the equivalent job in Santa Monica.

Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Pulskamp hasn’t yet announced how he plans to fill the position, city spokeswoman Gail Ortiz said.

Gorman, 38, was selected from a field of 80 candidates to fill Santa Monica’s vacancy following the retirement of its previous city clerk. She’ll earn a base salary of $159,912 – significantly more than the $115,876.80 she makes in Santa Clarita. Santa Monica will also pay her a relocation allowance  of up to $10,000.

Gorman and her husband, Douglas, live in Santa Clarita with their 18-month-old daughter, who was born during Gorman’s tenure in Santa Clarita.  Douglas works in West Los Angeles; Sarah said they’ll be moving south.

“It has been such a pleasure to work with Ken (Pulskamp) and the (City) Council, and with such a smart and engaged citizenry,” Gorman said. “I’ve loved my time working in Santa Clarita and I’m looking forward to the new experience.”

Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom made the announcement Wednesday.

“Ms. Gorman’s experience, education and focus on civic engagement are strengths that will allow her to serve the Santa Monica community with distinction for many years to come,” Bloom said in a statement. “She impressed us with her dedication to customer service and use of innovative technology to make government transparent for the community.  The depth of her background in elections and records management makes her well qualified on all fronts.”

Gorman holds a law degree from the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law. Before coming to Santa Clarita in 2010, she worked for the city’s contract law firm of Burke, Williams & Sorensen LLP, where she specialized in election law, ethics law and public records law. Before that, she was an associate attorney and law clerk.

Ortiz said Gorman has been an “integral part of our city family” and she’ll be missed.

“Sarah is smart (and) extremely competent at her job,” Ortiz said. “She gives a high level of public service and has a bias for action. She has big shoes to fill.”

Gorman said she’s still on the job in Santa Clarita until Aug. 17.