BY ALLISON LEVITSKY
Daily Post Staff Writer
Palo Alto’s longtime CFO Lalo Perez has died nine months after retiring, City Manager Ed Shikada announced at City Council last night (April 1). Perez was 55.
City spokeswoman Claudia Keith said Perez had kidney cancer “a couple of years ago,” but didn’t know how Perez died.
Perez’s niece posted on Facebook March 22 that she was “heartbroken” visiting him at the ICU at Stanford Hospital.
Perez worked on the city’s finances for almost 33 years. He joined the city in August 1985 as a revenue collections employee and worked his way up to CFO with stints in the treasury and budget offices.
Upon his retirement last summer, the council recognized Perez for his enthusiasm, ethics, care and skill as a coach and leader.
City leaders thanked him for his positive attitude, dependability and “exceptional work ethic.”
He had “consistently been recognized as a team player,” then-City Manager Jim Keene said in a resolution approved by council.
As CFO, Perez also served as staff liaison to the Finance Committee and stepped in as acting city manager on occasion.
The Silicon Valley Business Journal named Perez CFO of the Year in 2012 for his leadership in managing the city’s finances during the 2008 recession.
Perez is also credited with leading the city to being one of the first cities to launch an open budget portal.
He is survived by his wife Erin and daughter Megan.
Council held a moment of silence in Perez’s honor last night. A memorial is planned for 10 a.m. on April 12 at the Mitchell Park Community Center.
