City Manager Turner Resigns
Parkville’s Joe Turner has effectively resigned his position as the city administrator, and will take over the reins as city manager of Fort Scott, Kansas. Turner was voted into the office unanimously by that city’s commission on Tuesday and will begin work there on April 21.
Turner served in his current position for a little less than four years, having been voted into the position in May 2004 by Mayor Kathryn Dusenbery. Dusenbery cast the tiebreaking vote after the aldermen failed to reach a majority.
Turner, who began his professional career as an accountant, served as the city manager in nearby Atchison, KS for 14 years before taking over the vacant Parkville city administrator’s position from Pat Hawver. It was the desire to have more of an active managerial role that led Turner to seek out the new opportunity.
“It’s a great opportunity for me,” Turner told The Luminary. “Fort Scott is a City Manager form of government, so it’s a move upwards. They have a $12.5 million dollar budget and a full-time staff.” Fort Scott is a city located 88 miles south of Kansas City, on the Marmaton River. It is the largest city and county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas with a population of around 8,200 – nearly twice the size of Parkville. Parkville has around a $5.5 million budget.
Turner counted his work on the new city hall as one of his best achievements during his time at Parkville.
“The lease-purchase of city hall is a great opportunity for the city. It’s a good facility and it’s ready for expansion whenever the city needs it. I think Parkville is on the verge of great things.”
Mayor Kathryn Dusenbery said Turner’s financial expertise will be missed.
“Because of his work, the city is in good financial order,” Dusenbery said. “He provided the city with the opportunity to grow and move to the next step.”
Dusenbery said the city will begin discussing Turner’s replacement at the March 25 meeting of the Board of Aldermen. She said the city would more than likely be looking for a candidate that had a master’s degree in public administration and one with applicable experience for a growing city like Parkville.
Parkville Police Chief Bill Hudson, who was interested in the city manager’s post in 2004, said he “hadn’t given any thought” to pursuing the post this time around.
Turner will make around $85,400 in his new post – a slight increase in pay – and his last day at Parkville will be April 17.