After months of speculation, Northglenn City Manager Phil Nelson has resigned, effective immediately.
Nelson, who has been city manager since 2001, officially resigned Friday and then sent word to city staff in an e-mail Saturday.
“While we have had to weather some pretty tough times, each of you has stepped to the plate and given everything that you have for this community,” Nelson wrote.
Nelson didn’t say where he was going or why. He could not be reached Monday for comment.
Deputy City Manager Leslie Cullen will serve as interim city manager until a replacement is named.
Northglenn Mayor Kathleen Novak said it’s common for city managers to leave after five years.
Nelson, who oversaw the city’s $48 million budget, was a strong manager who improved the city’s position to deal with the economic challenges of being a landlocked city, she said.
“He created an internal structure that enabled the city to fulfill its vision,” she said.
Nelson had been criticized for using city funds to lease a sport utility vehicle for Novak in 2003.
His departure had been speculated for months, as he sought city manager positions in Wichita and Salina, Kan. He also was a finalist for the same opening in Parker.
Novak said Nelson pursued opportunities in Kansas to be closer to his mother, who had become ill.
Staff writer Julianne Bentley can be reached at jbentley@denverpost.com.
