KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The longtime city manager for Kansas City, Missouri, on Monday accepted a similar job in Jackson County after telling city officials last week that he will leave his position three months earlier than expected.
Troy Schulte submitted his resignation letter to Mayor Quinton Lucas and the Kansas City Council on Friday, according to a news release from the city. His final day with the city will be Dec. 2.
On Dec. 9, he will start his new job as county administrator after the Jackson County Legislature approved his employment contract at its meeting Monday.
"I am grateful to the county executive, legislative chair and members of the county legislature for their support," Schulte said in a news release. "While trying to figure out what was next for me, I ultimately decided that I was not ready to give up on 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."
As county administrator, Schulte will be part of County Executive Frank White's staff, assisting White in overseeing day-to-day operations of the county, spokeswoman Marshanna Smith said in a news release.
"Troy is an exceptionally talented and hard-working public servant who knows how to get things done," White said in the release. "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."
Schulte, who has spent 21 years with the city, including the last 10 as city manager, announced in September that he planned to retire at the end of his contract, which would have been Feb. 29, 2020. But last week, he alerted the mayor and council members that he wanted to accelerate his departure to December.
Lucas said a search committee will work with a national firm to look for Schulte’s replacement. Schulte will serve on that committee.
“I thank Troy for his decades of service to our city,” Lucas said in the release from the city. “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.”
Jackson County legislators considered hiring Schulte last week but said they wanted more details on the job description for the new role before granting their approval.
Under his employment contract with the county, Schulte will make $220,000 annually.
