Armando Solis, Parks and Recreation Department director for the city of Galt. Photo by Paige Lampson

GALT, CA (MPG) - Armando Solis is ready to retire.

Following 38 years of service to the city, Galt’s Parks and Recreation director, is well above where he started in 1988 as a part-time janitor.  

“I needed a job,” Solis said as the reason for choosing to work for the city. “I was 18 years old. They were hiring.”

That job turned into a career for a man who was once named Person of the Year and Employee of the Year. Other city employees had nothing but good to say about him, though some residents were critical of a recent decision.  

“Working in local government comes with its challenges, and leadership requires a lot of responsibility, commitment, and dedication,” Parks Superintendent Jonathan Costa said by email. “I appreciate the opportunity I've had to work alongside him and be part of the work we do for the city.”

Solis was appointed director in 2014 and rallied to make Parks and Recreation one department again. Solis served as interim superintendent for a time when the city was looking for one, he said.

Armando Solis, Galt’s director of Parks and Recreation, rides in a police vehicle. Solis was a reserve police officer for the city until 2023. Photo by Paige Lampson

Jan. 1 will be his last day officially with the city, he said, but his last day of work will be Oct. 29.

“As Armando moves into retirement, I hope he takes pride in the years he has dedicated to Galt and the contributions he has made along the way,” Costa added. “I want to thank him for his service and wish him the very best in this next chapter of his life.”

Solis plans to decompress for 6 months to a year, he said, when asked what his plans are for retirement.  

“Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do,” he said. “Travel. Play a lot of golf. I’m going to be a papa to my grandchildren.”

He has four grandchildren and one more coming, he said.

“I want to be papa the most,” he said. “A husband second. And then we’ll go from there.”  

He raised two boys in the city and coached baseball at both Galt and Liberty Ranch high schools, he said. He served 30 years as a Galt reserve police officer.

One of his most memorable experiences working for the city, he said, was building the Galt Market. Another was seeing the start of construction of Walker Park.

When he started working for the city, Solis said, it had no stoplight and no fast-food restaurants.

Who takes his position is unclear, he said. A decision has yet to be made, Solis said.

Some residents were critical recently of the decision to put a fence around the baseball field at Harvey Park. Solis defended the decision, which was made without public input.

City Councilman Paul Sandhu said the decision should have come before the City Council. Sandhu is running for reelection this year against Tom Silva. The two are seeking the District 5 seat. 

“He has been a great mentor to me, a great leader, and you can clearly see the passion that he has for the community,” said Jackie Garcia, Galt’s deputy director of Parks and Recreation, who has worked with Solis for eight years.

“One of the qualities I admire most about him is his immeasurable knowledge – not only of our department – but of the community as a whole,” said administrative assistant Ashley Thompson.

Office assistant Adeline Barth has known Solis for just over a year, she said. Solis has made an impact on her work ethic, how she communicates, her confidence and how she approaches her day-to-day life, she said.

“One of the biggest pleasures of this job is meeting, working with all the people within the Parks and Rec Department,” Solis said. “I think people don't understand that we are the face of the city.”