City manager resigns for second time

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Less than two months after withdrawing his initial September resignation, Portales City Manager Doug Redmond handed in his official resignation again Monday.

link Doug Redmond

Reasons for his resignation have not changed.

Redmond said he has two side projects going on, which he declined to discuss until they are closer to being finalized around the end of March.

He said his last day as city manager will be March 6.

Redmond said when he resigned in September, rumors started that he was returning to business consulting work, but the rumors were untrue.

However, he said, the rumors cause him to get phone calls from interested clients, and that got him thinking.

“I’ve been a city or county manager the better part of 17 years,” Redmond said. “I’m just rethinking my life and what I want to do and some opportunities have come my way and I want to pursue them.”

Redmond said along with his side projects, a company has hired him for consulting on “site placement” for new businesses.

He said he will remain living in Portales, but his new opportunities will require him to do some traveling.

“The ability of being able to manage your time and control your day appeals to me,” Redmond said.

Mayor Sharon King said the position will not be advertised again, because the city already has a great pool of applicants from Redmond’s first resignation in September.

King said interviews will begin Monday and should be completed within two weeks with the chosen candidate being announced.

“We’d like to have it filled before he (Redmond) goes, but I’m sure he’ll work with us and be on call for questions,” King said. “He’s really good about that.”

“He’s been excellent to work with,” she said, adding that she watched Redmond deal with any and every Portales resident with courtesy and respect, even when they were upset.

Redmond said he is excited about his new future, but there are many things he will miss about working with the city, and he plans to still play an active role in the community.

“There’s a lot I’ll miss. I’ll miss my employees. I’ll miss our relationships with the county and other entities,” he said. “I think a lot of things have been rewarding (with this job).”