In what he called his “farewell,” retiring City Manager Mark Whitfield requested permission to speak after department head reports were completed at the Monday, June 9 council meeting. After making sure all the heads of the department were present, Whitfield read a statement.
“I’d like to take a moment to recognize them for their service during my tenure as city manager,” Whitfield said. “I know that last week’s meetings were very difficult for you, and I’m well aware of the animosity that has been created. I just want to say that I am immensely proud of your service.”
Whitfield pointed out that he viewed the city staff as a team.
“We’ve always worked together for the delivery of services to the citizens as a team. There was never a time that any one department director put themselves on pedestals, if they had, I think Willis would have knocked them off pretty quickly,” Whitfield said. “There are numerous other cities in Delaware that have reached out to us for information on how we are doing things, which is another sign that we are leaders within the state of Delaware.”
According to Whitfield, the staff members he worked with were experts in their field.
“Each one of you are experts in your fields but the value and expertise and dedication you show is exemplary,” Whitfield continued. “I can’t tell you how many times I have sent one of them an email at 4 AM and received a reply back at 4:10 AM. As most of you know, I am not a fan of meetings, but I will say I will miss the department head meetings. We shared a lot of comradery.”
Whitfield shared some of the information he had learned about his staff.
“We always start our meetings talking about personal highlights,” Whitfield said. “’I’ve learned a lot about Bill’s brood of chickens, Rob’s camping experiences, Lou’s daughter’s athletic achievements, Jameshia and Lauren’s daughter’s milestones, Tony’s skateboarding escapades and son’s karate and Brad’s stories about his teenage sons. And, of course, Willis just razzes just about anybody about anything. I will miss that. It has been an honor and a privilege for me to work with each of you. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for what you’ve done for this city, day in and day out.”
Whitfield’s speech was met with a standing ovation from council and those in the audience.
“I’m not going to say a lot because there is a celebration for the city manager on the 11th and we will be able to shower you with all the accolades and words that we choose to say,” Vice-Mayor Jason James said. “Your service has been much appreciated, from your public works days to city manager. I remember when we were going through budgets, that was kind of our introduction to each other. Then, you became city manager, and I can tell you, the fiscal position of this city has been great. The city has been able to do a lot of things and move idle cash that was not serving the community, and now doing things that give more opportunities to our citizens. It’s been a good ride and congratulations on the work you have done for the city of Milford.”
Chris Coleman, the new city manager, will step into Whitfield’s role on August 4.
