City Hall reporter moving to another floor

One of the Los Angeles Times reporters with a fair bit of experience covering City Hall and politics is switching sides. Catherine Saillant's last day at the Times after 20 years was Friday. Next gig: she will be the communications deputy for Jan Perry, the former City Council member and mayoral candidate, now general manager of the city's Economic and Workforce Development Department. After the election, Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Perry to run the new department. As it happens, Saillant wrote the 2103 Times story on Perry's confirmation.

Saillant, who I believe began as a stringer in the Ventura edition of the paper when they had one, tells me: "I’m not leaving with any bitter feelings towards the Times. If anything, it is with sadness over the state of professional journalism and with concern for the colleagues I’m leaving behind. They are doing heroic work under diminished circumstances."

Her farewell email to the staff was similarly generous, urging her former colleagues to "keep up the good fight." Also this: "In recent weeks, so many have called, e-mailed and visited to check on my recovery from a shattered ankle. The Los Angeles Times has been a great place to have a career."

Also yes, I know, the headline is not exactly correct. The Economic and Workforce Development Department is not located in City Hall proper, but across downtown on West 7th Street. Sort of in the City Hall of the mind, but not in the physical building.