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Willcox city manager resigns; Darol Cridlebaugh to work until June 30
By CAROL BROEDER/Arizona Range News
Willcox will be looking for a new city manager.
Darol Cridlebaugh announced Monday evening that he would leave the city manager post at the end of June to return to consulting work.
"This is due primarily to family requirements. I found it too hard to try and keep my family responsibilities plus the city responsibilities," he said. "This is something I've been actually working towards for some time. I feel that this would be the best thing."
"I'm allowing a period of four months for a transition period to give the new council and the new mayor a chance to get seated and to select a new city manager for the future," Cridlebaugh told the council. "Then I can work with that person to help bridge the gap in the transition from one to the other. We're going to be starting the budget process very quickly, and I think that I should be here to carry through the budget preparation period and the end of the fiscal year."
After a closed-door session Monday lasting about an hour and a half, attended by Cridlebaugh, all seven council members, City Attorney Jim Holland, and City Clerk Cristina Whelan, Councilman Roy Ard moved to accept Cridlebaugh's resignation, to be followed by a letter.
In a letter written Tuesday morning, Cridlebaugh said, "I want to express my sincere belief that the future for Willcox is bright, and that many good things are on the verge of happening for the city. I feel confident that my tenure with the city, even though short, has been a productive one..."
He listed the new methamphetamine ordinance, new building codes, a new library Internet policy, and adoption of new rural zoning classifications similar to current county zones "to make annexation a more viable tool for the future growth of the city."
Cridlebaugh also mentioned the acquisition of a new site for the police station and court facility; funding for repaving Arizona Avenue, and extending Austin Boulevard to Rex Allen Drive; and retaining a new planning and engineering consulting firm "to assist with developing an annexation plan and reviewing and revising the outdated subdivision and planning and zoning codes."
Cridlebaugh said in his letter that there are several things that still need to be done prior to his departure, including tennis court lighting, substantial completion of the new water well and tank, selection of a technology for the new police station and court facility, a revised personnel policy document, updating the classification and compensation plans for city employees; and purchase of new capital equipment as approved in the current budget.
"I look forward to working with you on these worthwhile programs in the next four months," he said in closing.
At its Dec. 26, 2005 meeting, City Council ordered Cridlebaugh to make improvements in five areas before he was to be re-evaluated this month. At that time, Councilman Joe Long moved to "continue with Cridlebaugh as city manager, with the stipulation that he work on the following areas:"
€ have weekly staff meetings on Monday mornings or as needed, lasting 30 minutes, and with an agenda;
€ share his weekly calendar with department directors and staff members;
€ establish residency within the City of Willcox;
€ meet with city residents, "attend more meetings in the community and in the county, and be more visible in the community;" and
€ brief council members on the agenda prior to council meetings.
Cridlebaugh was hired as city manager in August 2005, at a salary of $75,000 per year, or about $1,440 per week.
He replaced Gilbert Davidson, who left June 7 to become assistant city manager in Marana.
Cridlebaugh told the Range News in August that while family obligations prevented him from moving to Willcox, he planned to maintain a second home here.
A certified public accountant, Cridlebaugh earned an MBA from the University of Minnesota in 1982, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Colorado in 1965.
"I have worked in government finance and administration for 20 years, and in the private sector for 12 years," he said in his letter of application for the city manager position.
In his resume, Cridlebaugh said that he had worked as a consultant in Tucson since 2003, performing "various finance and accounting projects" for cities and non-profit organizations.
Prior to taking the city manager post, Cridlebaugh was an "emergency hire" as a financial consultant, assisting the City of Willcox with its audit and budget.
He was director of finance for Project PPEP in Tucson from 2001 to 2002.
From 1994 to 2000, Cridlebaugh was finance director for the City of Nogales, overseeing a $33-million annual budget for a city with population of 20,000.
Darol Cridlebaugh announced Monday evening that he would leave the city manager post at the end of June to return to consulting work.
"This is due primarily to family requirements. I found it too hard to try and keep my family responsibilities plus the city responsibilities," he said. "This is something I've been actually working towards for some time. I feel that this would be the best thing."
"I'm allowing a period of four months for a transition period to give the new council and the new mayor a chance to get seated and to select a new city manager for the future," Cridlebaugh told the council. "Then I can work with that person to help bridge the gap in the transition from one to the other. We're going to be starting the budget process very quickly, and I think that I should be here to carry through the budget preparation period and the end of the fiscal year."
After a closed-door session Monday lasting about an hour and a half, attended by Cridlebaugh, all seven council members, City Attorney Jim Holland, and City Clerk Cristina Whelan, Councilman Roy Ard moved to accept Cridlebaugh's resignation, to be followed by a letter.
In a letter written Tuesday morning, Cridlebaugh said, "I want to express my sincere belief that the future for Willcox is bright, and that many good things are on the verge of happening for the city. I feel confident that my tenure with the city, even though short, has been a productive one..."
He listed the new methamphetamine ordinance, new building codes, a new library Internet policy, and adoption of new rural zoning classifications similar to current county zones "to make annexation a more viable tool for the future growth of the city."
Cridlebaugh also mentioned the acquisition of a new site for the police station and court facility; funding for repaving Arizona Avenue, and extending Austin Boulevard to Rex Allen Drive; and retaining a new planning and engineering consulting firm "to assist with developing an annexation plan and reviewing and revising the outdated subdivision and planning and zoning codes."
Cridlebaugh said in his letter that there are several things that still need to be done prior to his departure, including tennis court lighting, substantial completion of the new water well and tank, selection of a technology for the new police station and court facility, a revised personnel policy document, updating the classification and compensation plans for city employees; and purchase of new capital equipment as approved in the current budget.
"I look forward to working with you on these worthwhile programs in the next four months," he said in closing.
At its Dec. 26, 2005 meeting, City Council ordered Cridlebaugh to make improvements in five areas before he was to be re-evaluated this month. At that time, Councilman Joe Long moved to "continue with Cridlebaugh as city manager, with the stipulation that he work on the following areas:"
€ have weekly staff meetings on Monday mornings or as needed, lasting 30 minutes, and with an agenda;
€ share his weekly calendar with department directors and staff members;
€ establish residency within the City of Willcox;
€ meet with city residents, "attend more meetings in the community and in the county, and be more visible in the community;" and
€ brief council members on the agenda prior to council meetings.
Cridlebaugh was hired as city manager in August 2005, at a salary of $75,000 per year, or about $1,440 per week.
He replaced Gilbert Davidson, who left June 7 to become assistant city manager in Marana.
Cridlebaugh told the Range News in August that while family obligations prevented him from moving to Willcox, he planned to maintain a second home here.
A certified public accountant, Cridlebaugh earned an MBA from the University of Minnesota in 1982, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Colorado in 1965.
"I have worked in government finance and administration for 20 years, and in the private sector for 12 years," he said in his letter of application for the city manager position.
In his resume, Cridlebaugh said that he had worked as a consultant in Tucson since 2003, performing "various finance and accounting projects" for cities and non-profit organizations.
Prior to taking the city manager post, Cridlebaugh was an "emergency hire" as a financial consultant, assisting the City of Willcox with its audit and budget.
He was director of finance for Project PPEP in Tucson from 2001 to 2002.
From 1994 to 2000, Cridlebaugh was finance director for the City of Nogales, overseeing a $33-million annual budget for a city with population of 20,000.
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