by Mary Wilson
This week, Troy Schulte walked through doors at City Hall in
Kansas City for the final time as City Manager. On Friday, November 22, Schulte
submitted his resignation letter to the Mayor and City Council.
Having served the last ten years as city manager, Schulte
has worked for 21 years for the City of Kansas City. During that time, he is
credited for a list of success stories, including: balancing billion-dollar
budgets during both a recession and an economic upturn; guiding the creation
and implementation of the GO KC 20-year infrastructure repair program; creating
an award-winning citywide business plan; expanding the use of data to guide
decision-making and to measure results; creating a modern streetcar system that
has sparked billions of dollars in economic development; bringing free public
WiFi to the downtown business district and along the Prospect Avenue corridor;
increasing leadership opportunities for women and minorities; and both the
convention center hotel and airport terminal now under construction.
“I thank Troy for his decades of service to our city,” Mayor
Quinton Lucas said. “The impact of his work will be felt for generations. I
appreciate Troy’s participation in our city manager search process and his
dedication to ensuring continuity for our city employees during this transition
period. I wish Troy and Laurie the best in this next chapter.”
Schulte previously announced that he would leave city
service at the end of his current contract, in February 2020. However, on
Monday, November 25, the Jackson County Legislature approved a contract of
employment that will allow the County Executive to hire Schulte.
As a member of the County Executive’s staff, Schulte will
have the title of County Administrator and will assist the County Executive in
overseeing the day-to-day operations of the County. He begins this role on
Monday, December 9.
“Troy is an exceptionally talented and hard-working public
servant who knows how to get things done,” said Jackson County Executive Frank
White, Jr. “When I learned that he might be available, I immediately sat down
with him to see if we could find a way to add him to our team.”
“I’m excited about the opportunity to work with Troy,” said
Legislative Chairwoman Theresa Galvin. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and
experience that is needed. This is a positive step in the right direction and I
would like to thank County Executive Frank White, Jr. for working with the
Legislature to move the County forward. This process has truly been a
collaboration that has been missing for some time and I hope it will continue.”
Prior to serving as city manager, Schulte led the city’s
budget office. He received the Department of Economics and Department of History
Outstanding Alumni Award last month from Iowa Sate University, where he earned
a bachelor’s degree in history and economics in 1992 and 1994, respectively.
“I am grateful to the County Executive, Legislative Chair,
and members of the County Legislature for their support,” said Schulte. “While
trying to figure out what was next for me, I ultimately decided that I was not
ready to give up public service. I love what I do and believe I have more to
give. I am excited to join the Jackson County team and look forward to working
with everyone to get things done.”
Schulte leaves city management in Kansas City on solid
footing. Following other top-level retirements, he has promoted Tammy Queen to finance
director, Donna Maize to fire chief, and Teri Casey to acting director off the
human resources department.
On Monday, December 2, Mayor Lucas appointed Earnest Rouse
as acting city manager. Rouse, a 30-year veteran of the City of Kansas City,
has worked in a variety of roles and departments within the city’s government.
He becomes the third African-American to serve as City Manager in Kansas City’s
history.
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