Chadron City Manager John Sutherland says he is retiring next Tuesday because he lacks the energy to give the job all he thinks it deserves.
Sutherland retired in 2019 as city administrator in Lamar, Colorado, but applied for the Chadron job a little over a year later because he felt he still had a lot to give.
He now says the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak when it comes to doing the job of city manager the way he wants to.
Sutherland says his decision isn’t the result of any health issues and laughingly says it’s not 100% his own idea – his “partner at home” strongly supports it.
Sutherland says the timing of his retirement was partially determined by the coming election and the possibility of 2 or 3 new city council members being elected.
The Chadron council accepted his resignation last night and named Utilities Superintendent and Chadron School Board President Tom Menke as Interim City Manager.
The council will begin advertising the vacancy within the next two weeks and will discuss at its next meeting Nov 8 the process for hiring the next city manager.
Sutherland’s last day on the job will be next Tuesday, the 25th. He picked it because it’s the last day of the pay period and he wants to cause as little extra work as possible for city staff.
Sutherland also says he and his wife love their home and love Chadron and have no plans to move anywhere.