Cockrell resigns; Rutledge named interim city manager
By Brendan Hoover
Managing Editor
Mustang City Council members accepted the resignation of City Manager David Cockrell during a special meeting at City Hall Tuesday night.
Cockrell’s resignation will be effective July 24. He has accepted an offer to become the city manager in Atlanta, Texas, a community of about 5,700 in northeast Texas.
Council members also named Mike Rutledge as interim city manager. They voted to give Rutledge a salary package equaling 90 percent of Cockrell’s pay, with salary and benefits totaling $88,200 annually.
After the Council came out of executive session to announce his resignation, Cockrell thanked the members.
“I have really enjoyed my 28 years here. Julie and I have been blessed to live and serve in this wonderful community. It has been very rewarding professionally,” Cockrell said. “We have an opportunity that we think is good for our life and good for our future. So, thank you. My heart will always be with Mustang, and I wish this place nothing but the best.”
After the meeting, Ward 6 Councilwoman Katherine Callahan said Cockrell was a great city manager because he always put the citizens of Mustang first.
“He was a top-of-the-list kind of guy,” Callahan said.
Rutledge was a natural fit as the choice to temporarily replace Cockrell in the city manager’s office, Mayor Jeff Landrith said.
“We have a Fourth of July week with one day gone, so we had to find the right fit quickly,” Landrith said.
Rutledge’s versatility in all areas of city government made him a good choice, Ward 2 City Councilwoman Kathleen Moon said.
Now the process to select a permanent city manager begins. Landrith said the process will probably take six to eight months, and Council members will decide in future meetings the method with which they will choose a new hire.
“We’re looking into different options on how to do that. We haven’t settled on an option yet,” he said. “I think we’re looking at all options.”
Landrith said Cockrell’s leaving was professional and amicable.
“The city manager is also a private citizen, so he is entitled to certain rights. He acted very professionally and completely within his rights in the way he notified us. There are other options that he chose not to exercise that would have cost the city more money,” Landrith said.
Landrith said Cockrell’s motivation for leaving was not due to any bad feelings between Cockrell and the Council.
“The issue that came up was that David was looking at a place where he could consider retiring, with maybe a little bit slower pace than here. So that was what he was looking for. I know money never really came into it,” Landrith said. “I think some people are under the impression that we didn’t work hard enough to keep him, and we did.”
Cockrell was immensely popular with city staff and the public, Moon said.
“He loves Mustang. His heart and soul is here,” she said. “The staff is very upset. Nobody is celebrating his leaving.”
Moon said she spoke to Council members from Atlanta prior to Cockrell’s resignation.
“They said, ‘we’re trying to steal your city manager.’ And I said, ‘we’re trying to keep him,’” she said. “He’s had the confidence to hire people who are smarter than he is, and they make him look good. And he does. He looks like a genius.”
Cockrell worked for the City of Mustang for 28 years, first as a police officer and then as police chief. He became interim city manager in 2001, and the interim tag was later lifted.
For more Mustang news and sports go to mustangpaper.com
Managing Editor
Mustang City Council members accepted the resignation of City Manager David Cockrell during a special meeting at City Hall Tuesday night.
Cockrell’s resignation will be effective July 24. He has accepted an offer to become the city manager in Atlanta, Texas, a community of about 5,700 in northeast Texas.
Council members also named Mike Rutledge as interim city manager. They voted to give Rutledge a salary package equaling 90 percent of Cockrell’s pay, with salary and benefits totaling $88,200 annually.
After the Council came out of executive session to announce his resignation, Cockrell thanked the members.
“I have really enjoyed my 28 years here. Julie and I have been blessed to live and serve in this wonderful community. It has been very rewarding professionally,” Cockrell said. “We have an opportunity that we think is good for our life and good for our future. So, thank you. My heart will always be with Mustang, and I wish this place nothing but the best.”
After the meeting, Ward 6 Councilwoman Katherine Callahan said Cockrell was a great city manager because he always put the citizens of Mustang first.
“He was a top-of-the-list kind of guy,” Callahan said.
Rutledge was a natural fit as the choice to temporarily replace Cockrell in the city manager’s office, Mayor Jeff Landrith said.
“We have a Fourth of July week with one day gone, so we had to find the right fit quickly,” Landrith said.
Rutledge’s versatility in all areas of city government made him a good choice, Ward 2 City Councilwoman Kathleen Moon said.
Now the process to select a permanent city manager begins. Landrith said the process will probably take six to eight months, and Council members will decide in future meetings the method with which they will choose a new hire.
“We’re looking into different options on how to do that. We haven’t settled on an option yet,” he said. “I think we’re looking at all options.”
Landrith said Cockrell’s leaving was professional and amicable.
“The city manager is also a private citizen, so he is entitled to certain rights. He acted very professionally and completely within his rights in the way he notified us. There are other options that he chose not to exercise that would have cost the city more money,” Landrith said.
Landrith said Cockrell’s motivation for leaving was not due to any bad feelings between Cockrell and the Council.
“The issue that came up was that David was looking at a place where he could consider retiring, with maybe a little bit slower pace than here. So that was what he was looking for. I know money never really came into it,” Landrith said. “I think some people are under the impression that we didn’t work hard enough to keep him, and we did.”
Cockrell was immensely popular with city staff and the public, Moon said.
“He loves Mustang. His heart and soul is here,” she said. “The staff is very upset. Nobody is celebrating his leaving.”
Moon said she spoke to Council members from Atlanta prior to Cockrell’s resignation.
“They said, ‘we’re trying to steal your city manager.’ And I said, ‘we’re trying to keep him,’” she said. “He’s had the confidence to hire people who are smarter than he is, and they make him look good. And he does. He looks like a genius.”
Cockrell worked for the City of Mustang for 28 years, first as a police officer and then as police chief. He became interim city manager in 2001, and the interim tag was later lifted.
For more Mustang news and sports go to mustangpaper.com
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