Two months after current City Manager Sean Crumby announced his plans to step down, the City has hired Sean Joyce to be Irvine's new City Manager. Joyce is expected to begin in mid-August.

Joyce served as Irvine's City Manager for 13 years, including during the Great Recession, one of the most significant economic downturns in recent U.S. history. Joyce is widely credited with developing Irvine's "Bridge Plan," a three-year financial strategy adopted in 2009 to help the City navigate the Great Recession.

The plan was designed to stabilize Irvine's finances by drawing upon the City's "Rainy Day Reserves" and minimizing impacts on residents and City employees.