Former Sacramento interim city manager Gus Vina is headed for the coast.

Vina, who resigned from his post in Sacramento in March, will start a new job on July 1 as the city manager of Encinitas in San Diego County. The Encinitas City Council announced Monday that it chose Vina, 50, for the job.

The city of roughly 60,000 is known for its beaches, surfing and flower-growing operations.

“I’m excited to be able to continue at the city manager level,” Vina said Tuesday, adding that the Southern California city will be a “completely different environment.”

The Encinitas City Council is not facing any budget troubles, Vina said. By contrast, the Sacramento City Council is grappling with a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. 

“We are pleased and very fortunate to have Gus join the city of Encinitas and look forward to his leadership,” said Encinitas Mayor Jim Bond in a Monday news release.

Vina earned $225,000 as interim city manager in Sacramento. He said Tuesday that he was still negotiating his salary with officials in Encinitas.

Vina had a 12-year career at Sacramento City Hall, working in a variety of management positions.

When he gave notice to the Sacramento City Council in March, he told The Sacramento Press he did not “have the confidence of the entire council.” Sacramento’s City Council chose not to promote him to the permanent city manager position in a 5-4 vote on Jan. 25.

Vina said he looks forward to working on projects in Encinitas involving beachfront restoration and street beautification on Highway 101. His priorities include updating the city’s long-term development strategy, known as a “general plan,” and monitoring city finances, he said.

The answer to one question remains unclear: Will Vina learn to surf?

“At almost 51, I don’t know,” Vina said, promising that he would be “open-minded” about the possibility.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.