Rose resigns as city manager

By Raquel Hendrickson & Mason Callejas

Maricopa is hunting for a new city manager.

After almost four years, Gregory Rose announced to staff Tuesday morning his intention to leave for a similar position in University City, Missouri. He starts his new job Dec. 28. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his salary will be $170,000. His Maricopa salary is $173,000.

“I think we’re all sad to see him go,” Mayor Christian Price said. “I know he has family back in the Dallas area, and University City makes it a little bit better to get to. And [University City is] going through some challenges that fall within his wheelhouse.”

University City has had financial and development problems as well as political issues. Rose said he felt that was a main reason he was selected.

University City has been under interim management since the previous city manager was fired in March amid controversy. The suburb of St. Louis has a population of around 35,000.

Rose started city administration in University City in 1997 as a deputy manager. He left in 2001.

“It’s always been a city I enjoyed when I was there, and I knew if ever there was an opportunity to return I would seriously consider it,” said Rose, who said he had not been searching for another job when the University City position opened.

“It was the only city I would have considered,” he said.

Rose has been a city administrator in Hyattsville, Maryland, a city manager in North Las Vegas, Nevada, and principle of the consulting firm Rose & Associate until he was named city manager of Maricopa in February 2014.

Rose replaced Brenda Fischer, who went on to serve as city manager of Glendale for less than 18 months before moving to Las Vegas.

The development of Maricopa’s 2040 Vision, the completion of Copper Sky and the pending overpass on John Wayne Parkway across the Union Pacific Railroad tracks are three of the accomplishments he’s most pleased to have been a part of in Maricopa. He said he hopes Maricopans “appreciate what we accomplished together.”

He said the 2040 Vision, a long-range planning document the community created, is “an extremely clear vision that will transcend many administrations.”

Though Rose and city council have not yet worked out his departure date, Rose said he definitely would be present for the groundbreaking ceremony for the overpass Nov. 20.

“You couldn’t drag me away,” he said.

For the moment, Rose wants to work with council and staff to help the interim transition go smoothly.

Price said the hiring process for a new city manager could take 3-5 months. If city council follows the same procedure it used in hiring Rose, an interim manager will be put into place as the search process begins. He said the interim could come from within city hall or be someone outside.

Then council would compile a stakeholders group comprised of commission members and prominent members of the community. They will look at applicants and pass along their recommendations to a directors group, which would winnow the applicants to six or seven. Then the council would narrow those to the top three.

But that procedure could change.

“The council has to decide which way it wants to go,” Price said.