FAIR OAKS RANCH– Less than a month before a new council member takes office in Place 2, City Manager Tobin Maples announced his departure from the city.
The staff leader of the Hill Country town began his gig in 2016, with this spring nearly marking seven years in his role with the city.
City Council will discuss his resignation and set the calendar for his official career sunset with the city during its April 20 regular meeting.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve this community over the last seven years,” Maples said in a statement released by city officials. “The most significant being that I always tried to perform the duties of the position with humility and integrity. I am so proud of the many successes that council and city staff accomplished as a team of dedicated public servants.”
City staff confirmed Maples will still be on duty until Friday, but exactly when his final departure will take place remains a mystery.
“During his tenure with the city and under his leadership, Maples implemented a culture of operational excellence and made great strides to improve public safety, city finances, internal controls, governmental transparency, growth management and emergency operations,” a statement from the city reads.
While the announcement comes just two weeks after Maples’ deadline to meet certain performance goals after a less- than- perfect evaluation last year – which critiqued the city manager’s response to council comments and his sense of professionalism – Mayor Greg Maxton said the soon-to-beformer city manager was doing well and successfully accomplishing those goals. Maxton confirmed the departure is amicable.
“It was great to work with him (Maples). In his seven years as our city manager, I think we made significant accomplishments for the quality of our city,” Maxton said. “City staff under his leadership has done a phenomenal job.”
While the relationship between Maples and city staff seems strong, city managers seldom stay in their role with a particular city longer than seven years, according to information published by the Investments & Wealth Institute.
The information, pulled from a work published by Douglas J. Watson and Wendy L. Hassett, states that while city manager tenures has lengthened over the decades, the average stay was just under seven years by 2000.
This grew from just over 5 years in the 1990s and just over 4 years in the ‘80s.
While Maxton said the city leader found another job, he couldn’t say exactly where his new desk will sit.
Maples could not be reached for comment by The Star’s press deadline.
In his tenure, Maples oversaw several large project, including the most recent updates to the city’s wastewater infrastructure, a utility rate study, the expansion of staff offices in city hall and the introduction of video recording and live broadcasting city meetings.
When Maples announced his departure to city staff, according to the press release sent out by the city, one unnamed staffer said, “We wish the best to Tobin and his family as they embark on the next chapter in their lives. He will be greatly missed by those of us who were fortunate enough to work with him every day.”
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