Rutikanga Excited To Step Into Sonora City Administrator Position

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Sonora, CA — While she has worked in neighboring counties over recent years, the incoming Sonora City Administrator has lived in the community with her family since 2011.

Mary Rose Rutikanga also grew up in Copperopolis and is a graduate of Bret Harte High School.

In an interview with Clarke Broadcasting, she notes that she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in government from Cal State Sacramento and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Monterrey Institute of International Studies.

As part of her graduate degree program, she spent time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda, serving two and a half years as a health and community development volunteer.

In recent years she worked for Calaveras County as a Senior Administrative Analyst, right around the time of the Butte Fire, and most recently as the Deputy County Executive Officer in Merced.

She adds, “And I actually started my government career in Tuolumne County right out of undergraduate school working for the County Counsel, so it is kind of going full circle, starting in Tuolumne County and then ending up here with the City of Sonora.”

In regards to being the City Council’s top finalist to replace former administrator Tim Miller, she says, “I’m thrilled and really excited for this opportunity. Sonora is our home, and it is a place that we love and choose to live. I’m very excited to work with the city council on the issues affecting Sonora.

Some of the bigger issues she cites are housing affordability and homelessness.

She concludes, “I also look forward to working with the city council to address their community economic development priorities as well as looking at the progression and completion of Vision Sonora.

Rutikanga is expected to be appointed at Tuesday’s 5pm City Council meeting. Her first day will be February 3rd. We reported earlier that her starting salary will be $130,000.