Manager Cyrus Abhar Considers his Role among Leadership

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Rancho Cordova City Manager Cyrus Abhar is proud of the reputation he’s earned as someone who is tough with taxpayer dollars. It’s important to him that Rancho Cordova doesn’t get into financial debt under his watch.

“But this doesn’t mean I’m frugal either,” Abhar told the Messenger Publishing Group during a recent interview.

He does admit, however, that “frugal” is a term many Rancho Cordova taxpayers would appreciate.

Rancho Cordova is a rapidly growing community. The 2020 Census found that more than 74,000 people call the city home. That’s an increase of more than 10,000 people since the previous 2010 census. The city of Rancho Cordova operates under a strong city manager form of government, which means Abhar takes direction from the city council, but he calls the shots.

He is nearing an important milestone. Abhar joined the city of Rancho Cordova nearly 20 years ago, when the community officially incorporated into a city in 2003. He initially served as public works director and says one of his first jobs was to procure a coffee machine and carpets for the building that served as a temporary city hall.

“Not many people gave us a chance to make it,” Abhar admitted. “They thought we would go back to Sacramento County and say, ‘take us back.’”

State Assemblyman Ken Cooley, who helped guide the incorporation process when he served as a founding Rancho Cordova city councilmember, saw a lot of promise in Abhar. It’s why he convinced the young Sacramento County employee to take a chance on the new city as a contract employee.

“Cyrus really understands the secret sauce of the local community,” Cooley told MPG. “He not only handled our infrastructure issues, which were immense at the time, he knew how and where to go to procure funding for Rancho Cordova’s many needs.”

A lot has changed for the city of Rancho Cordova since 2003. Abhar was elevated to the top spot of city manager in 2015 and is responsible for carrying out the vision and policies implemented by the Rancho Cordova City Council.

It’s a delicate balancing act for Abhar, who says he is focused on reshaping the Rancho Cordova community in a way that improves the quality of life for all city residents. That means innovative approaches to crime and homelessness, while creating a desirable place to live and work.

“Rancho Cordova did have a problem with a reputation for crime before the city incorporated,” said Abhar. “But in the past 20 years we have created what I believe is a very business friendly environment with lots of positive options that range from affordable housing, transportation and of course, the American River.”

Statistics compiled by the Rancho Cordova Police Department do bear out a drop in some violent crimes, an accomplishment that Abhar is proud of. RCPD, for example, investigated an average of nearly six murders and 103 robberies every year during the period of 2011-2015. Last year, the murder rate dropped to two, combined with 74 robberies. However, some property crimes that had shown a decrease, such as auto theft, have picked back up again.

The “business friendly environment” cited by Abhar is confirmed by Rancho Cordova’s leadership in the business community. Diann Rogers serves as the president and CEO of the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce. She says her opinion of Abhar grew exponentially during the recent COVID-19 crisis.

“Cyrus is one of the most collaborative people I’ve ever worked with,” Rogers said. “He’s responsive and I like that. If there’s any kind of a problem, Cyrus is the type of person to reach out and ask for solutions. He’s very proactive. Some leaders don’t operate like that.”

It’s that collaborative process that has led to the construction of amenities such as bicycle lanes and parks where none previously existed in Rancho Cordova. Abhar refers to them as “quality of life” improvements and believes the recent investment into a project called the Mills Crossing Civic Center will further enhance Rancho Cordova’s reputation.

“This is a 10-acre site on Folsom Blvd. next to the Folsom Lake College, Rancho Cordova Center that will result in a community hub,” Abhar said. “We are currently in the planning and design phase that will result in the construction of a performing arts center and even a community center at that location.”

Abhar cautions, however, none of these types of investments would be possible without a prudent fiscal approach to running city government.

“For us to be able to dream and build great things, we have to be fiscally solvent,” Abhar said. “The legacy I want to leave for this community is that I left it better than I found it. I don’t want to saddle the people of Rancho Cordova with a financial mess they are forced to pay off after I’ve left.”

While Abhar can dream, Cooley believes it’s the little things that will help define the city manager’s work within the local community.

“If you drive down Coloma Road and take a right on Chardonnay, you will see homes that were built in the 1950’s,” Cooley said. “They all have brand new roads. That’s called taking care of people. That’s Cyrus Abhar.”