News updates are sent daily. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Pentz retiring from Chandler city manager job
Digg|
Save|
License|
Print|
E-mail|
Chandler City Manager Mark Pentz has notified the City Council that he plans to retire next spring.
Pentz announced his intention to retire in a confidential memo to the council in August. According to the memo, Pentz said he had planned to make a formal announcement in November to save the city the $5,000 fee for hiring a consultant to conduct his performance review, scheduled for Oct. 19.
 |
| Chandler City Manager Mark Pentz |
Unions, Chandler reach tentative deal
City contracts with unions approved
Chandler council open to unions ideas
"Approximately two years ago, Connie (Pentz's wife) and I made a decision that I would retire in the spring of 2010," he wrote.
Pentz was out of town Thursday and unavailable for comment, according to city officials. It's unclear yet who would replace him, said Jane Poston, city spokeswoman.
"In the past they've done a nationwide search," Poston said.
Vice Mayor Bob Caccamo, who was serving on the City Council when Pentz was hired in 2004, had positive things to say about him.
"I think Mark has done a good job," Caccamo said.
About a year after Pentz was hired, the City Council voted 4-3 to fire him for what Caccamo described as political reasons. At the time, council members Phil Westbrook, Martin Sepulveda, Donna Wallace and Matt Orlando voted for the firing, with Caccamo, Boyd Dunn, and Lowell Huggins voting to keep him, Caccamo said.
He said the meeting was contentious.
"It was a cross between the Inquisition and the McCarthy hearings," Caccamo said.
Soon after the next city election, the council voted to rehire Pentz, who returned his $300,000 severance package, Caccamo said.
This year, Pentz has clashed with several city employees' unions over cuts to jobs and benefits, which were meant to help the city save millions of dollars and stay financially solvent during the economic downturn.
Please add your comments, but follow these guidelines to keep this a safe, credible place for discussing the news: