With as many hats as Ronald Langford wears for the city of Del Rey Oaks, he probably doesn’t spend enough time at City Hall to don them all. Langford is the acting city manager, chief of police, public works director and city clerk. But due to an undisclosed medical condition, he has been working part time since the beginning of the year, city officials say. Langford primarily works mornings and has missed the last two regular City Council meetings. He also took leave last year for an on-the-job knee injury, caused by a remote-control police robot, according to his worker’s compensation file.

The tiny city’s nine other employees are picking up the slack. “We are doing as best as we can with his reduced hours,” says Vice Mayor Jerry Edelen. “The ladies down [at City Hall] are doing additional work. The mayor has been in there picking up some pieces.”

Kim Carvalho, deputy city clerk, says Langford was on medical leave for about two months starting in November. Upon his return, Carvalho says, he worked from 7-11am and now stays in the office until 1:30pm. Council members say Langford will gradually increase his hours until he can come back full time.

But the council appears to be deliberating Langford’s dual position of acting city manager and police chief. The City Council held a special meeting May 8; the only closed-session item on the agenda was Langford’s performance evaluation. The council reported no action after the two-and-a-half hour meeting and will not discuss the personnel matter. Adding to the mystery, Langford declined to speak with the Weekly and referred calls to his attorney, Michael Stamp.

Stamp says he isn’t privy to the council’s closed session talks, but he is representing Langford in regard to policy changes affecting the police department and city manager’s office. When pressed, Stamp wouldn’t disclose a specific policy change under consideration. “It’s all sort of up in the air,” he says. “There is nothing concrete to point to.”

Langford is 49. He was hired as a Del Rey Oaks police officer in 1981 and became acting city manager/police chief in 1999. Stamp says Langford does not plan to retire anytime soon.

Former councilmembers say Langford’s appointment to the city manager post was supposed to be temporary after Steve Endsley, the city’s first and only full-time city manager, left to work for the Fort Ord Reuse Authority. “It was never supposed to go that long,” Mike Ventimiglia says. “It was supposed to last six months to a year. It became easier just to keep him on.”

Easier – and cheaper. Having one person oversee police and administration is less expensive than hiring two city employees. Langford makes $110,400 a year for both duties, with about $20,000 of his salary covering his city manager role. Edelen estimates that a full-time city manager would cost the city around $100,000 a year. “We are getting him on the cheap,” he says.

But City Hall critic and former councilwoman Kathi Buckley Smith says she is concerned about how the city is functioning with Langford only working part time. “The office just can’t run itself. There are decisions that have to be made on a daily basis,” she says. “I think it’s a ship without a captain.”

According to his worker’s compensation claim, Langford injured his left knee on Oct. 31, 2006, when a tactical robot ran over him in the police locker room. According to Dr. Richard Ravilin’s report, “[Langford] was operating a mechanical robot, which rolled backwards and turned, pushing him against the wall. He states that he twisted his left knee in the process.” In Langford’s injury report he writes, “Northern Lights tactical robot ran over me. 200 lbs-steel, remote controlled.” Langford underwent knee surgery and returned to full duty in June 2007, the documents say. Medical problems then caused Langford to miss work beginning in November of last year, city officials say.

Carvalho says city staff have adapted to Langford’s reduced schedule. Even when Langford is not in the office, she says, he checks e-mail and returns calls. “All along he has kept up on what has been happening,” she says. Councilman Jeff Cecilio says the council still receives timely reports and Langford continues to perform his duties.

Despite Langford's shortened schedule, hiring a full-time city manager is not in the city's immediate future. "We are hoping to get a full-time city manager one of these days," says Mayor Joseph Russell, "as long as finances permit."