After six years in the position, Springfield City Manager Jason Gage has resigned with an agreement to stay until January 11, 2025.
Gage was hired in 2018 after working in Salina, Kansas, for 18 years, including as city manager. When he was hired, he was making $220,000, but the latest change to his employment contract, the fourth of its kind, increased his salary to $267,644.52 in September.
Earlier this year, Gage was a finalist for a city manager position in Manhattan, Kansas, but withdrew his candidacy in July, saying “leaving Springfield just didn’t feel right.”
The separation agreement includes one year of severance pay
On Friday, the Gage and the city signed a separation agreement that stipulates that Gage will stay until January, but also that he will receive a full year of compensation, benefits and accrued vacation totaling more than $300,000.
In his resignation letter, Gage did not cite a specific reason for the decision, but noted generally that the membership of the Springfield City Council could look different in April and that new priorities could emerge.
“We are about to welcome a new mayor and possibly several new faces to our city council seats,” the letter reads. ‘Together with the mayor [Ken] McClure and the City Council have been truly rewarding. However, a new Council may lead to shifted community priorities. Recognizing when it is time to embrace new challenges is often just as crucial as celebrating past achievements, and I believe now is the time.”
According to the city’s press release, McClure and the City Council are currently working on a process to determine an interim city manager and recruit a permanent replacement.
More: Springfield’s city manager is withdrawing from seeking employment in Manhattan, Kansas
During Gage’s tenure, the city has experienced a change in leadership through both resignations and retirements. Over the past three years, the city has experienced the resignations of leaders from the Departments of Employment Development, Construction Development Services, and Planning and Development, as well as longtime employees retiring from the positions of city attorney and director of Planning and Development. Springfield-Greene County Public Health Department Positions.
The city’s press release notes that Springfield has seen significant improvement in its retail landscape during Gage’s tenure, with the addition of Buc-ee’s, Costco and a future new Target. The city also began a number of infrastructure projects during this period, including the Grant Avenue Parkway and Jefferson Avenue Streetscape projects. The city has also laid the groundwork for daylighting Jordan Creek and reopening the historic Jefferson Avenue pedestrian bridge.
Marta Mieze focuses on local government at the News-Leader. Do you have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on the Springfield News-Leader: Springfield City Manager Jason Gage is resigning and leaving in January
