FORT MADISON – Fort Madison City Manager David Varley has announced his resignation effective May 2, 2023.
Varley has been with the city since 2014 and word started to spread over the weekend that his time at the city could be coming to an end.
He said on Saturday that he “was thinking about it” but wouldn’t confirm any decisions.
City officials wouldn’t comment or confirm the decision over the weekend, but Varley submitted his letter of resignation to Mayor Matt Mohrfeld on Tuesday.
“Let’s just say it was the right time,” Varley said on what prompted the decision to step down.
“My wife and I talked about it and maybe it’s time to retire or maybe look at doing something else.”
The 69-year-old who’s native to California and spent time in Colorado said he has no plans to return to that area.
“We spent three years in Colorado, but we might just stay here. We’ve enjoyed our time here and we like it here. We’re in no hurry to look elsewhere.”
Varley had been vocal about the difficulties generating revenue in Iowa and the stranglehold the state has on local government.
“The biggest frustration is the state does not give local government enough leeway in how to raise revenue,” he said. “It’s very difficult to have a good mix of revenue sources, especially in the general fund. My biggest frustration is the state doesn’t have a strong belief in local control.”
Mohrfeld said he appreciated the outgoing city manager’s nine years of service to the city.
“We appreciate David’s service to the city, and I wish him the very best in his future plans,” Mohrfeld said Wednesday.
Varley echoed the sentiment.
“I appreciate the opportunity I have had to work for the city. I wish the city the best in all its future endeavors,” Varley wrote in his short resignation letter Tuesday.
Councilman Rusty Andrews, who serves as Mayor Pro Tem, and is a voting councilman, said the decision to leave was Varley’s, but now the council may look at different options as far as city leadership.
He said there was a separation agreement reached but couldn’t disclose the details.
Andrews said he hopes the council takes time to research the best way to move forward searching for a replacement.
“Council is looking to go a different direction with new leadership,” he said. “We are reaching out to Southeast Iowa Regional Planning and Mike Norris for some insight on how best to move forward.
“The last time we hired a consulting firm, and we’ll reach out to them again to get the ball rolling.”
He said there will be pressure to using a hiring firm, but he would like to weigh all the options before moving ahead with a plan.
“We need to take a minute to breathe, look at our budget and do some research on what others are paying. We don’t want to strap the budget any more than it already is.”
Last year Varley's salary was set at $126,251.
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