MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas and City Attorney Cody Smith announced Wednesday that Sept. 9 is their final day working for the city, citing what they described as an increasingly hostile and untenable working environment.
In a joint statement, Villegas and Smith said they would have preferred to continue serving Hutchinson and did not make the decision lightly.
They said the working environment deteriorated after they raised concerns involving the Hutchinson Recreation Commission, Hutch Rec Foundation and Dillon Nature Center Foundation.
“In our experience, Council member Stacy Goss’s continued conduct has been a principal contributor to that environment,” Villegas and Smith said.
They did not provide specific examples of Goss’s alleged conduct in the statement.
“The cumulative effect of these circumstances has left us feeling that we have no reasonable choice but to leave,” the statement said.
Villegas and Smith said they remain proud of their work for the city and grateful for the opportunity to serve the Hutchinson community.
They added that their departure does not change the concerns they previously raised regarding Hutch Rec and the two foundations.
“We believe those concerns remain important and should be addressed through the appropriate channels,” they said.
The statement did not provide information about who will temporarily assume the city manager and city attorney duties.