If a poll were to be taken of the city of choice for Richmond’s top management, it would be anywhere but Richmond – that is if they vote with their feet.

Of Richmond’s 41 top management staff members, including all department heads and other management deemed to be the cream of Richmond’s leadership, as few as perhaps seven actually live in Richmond. Another six may live in the unincorporated areas of El Sobrante or in Richmond. These are the people to whom we have assigned responsibility for Richmond’s present and future.

With such a heavy responsibility, one would think that they would invest in the city to which their professional life is devoted, a vote of confidence, as it were, in the work they are doing.

Well, it appears that Richmond is not the type of place most of them want to live, and if they have families, raise them. Here is where Richmond’s leadership would rather sleep at night:

Richmond                      7

Unincorporated              6 (Some of these may actually be in Richmond)

Vallejo                          4

Oakland                        3

Walnut Creek                2

Hercules/Rodeo            2

Martinez                       2

Stockton                      1

Concord                       1

Lafayette                      1

San Ramon                  1

Sacramento                 1

San Francisco              1

Alameda                      1

Benicia                        1

Vacaville                      1

Fairfield                        1

Albany                         1

Did not disclose            3

I don’t mean to infer, of course, that these folks are not fully professional and competently carrying out the duties of their positions. It’s just a little disappointing that more of them aren’t our neighbors as well as our leaders.