Wichita City Manager Robert Layton said Wednesday he will retire at the end of this year, after serving 16 years with the city. His retirement will be effective December 31st.
Layton was hired in 2009 and has worked under four Wichita mayors and 21 different City Council members. He has been in public service for 47 years, and before joining the City of Wichita he was City Manager from 1984 to 2009 for Urbandale, Iowa. He also served as the assistant to the City Manager in Des Moines, Iowa from 1980 to 1984. Prior to that he was a budget analyst and public management intern for Kansas City, Missouri. Layton earned a graduate degree in public administration from Syracuse University and earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Drake University.
The Wichita City Council will lead a national search for the next City Manager.
In an email to city employees, Layton said
“I am honored to have served as Wichita’s City Manager for 16 years and to have worked in local government for 47 years. During that long career, I have served many dedicated elected officials who have cared only about making their communities a better place to live and work, and I thank each of them for their support and commitment to good government.
Throughout our years together, it has been rewarding to support your efforts to build a dynamic city through significant infrastructure development. During the last 16 years we have constructed the Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, the Advanced Learning Library, the Multi-Agency Center, splash pads and pools, an eastside Police substation, Equity Bank Park, a water treatment plant, a sewage treatment plant and a significant number of other robust facilities. All of us should be proud of these projects and their impact on the lives of our residents.
But good government is about far more than infrastructure and development. It is about the hard work you do every day to improve the quality of life for our citizens, and I would be remiss were I not to recognize your tireless efforts. It has been inspiring to be part of your hard work and dedication to public safety, housing for the disadvantaged, enhanced literacy, a fair and accessible judicial system, a diversified economy and expanded job opportunities, park and recreation opportunities, an improved public transit system, a functional street network, safe drinking water, and so much more. It has been an honor to be associated with such a team of highly accomplished professionals.
Lastly, I wanted to take this opportunity to offer my heartfelt thanks to my wife, Beth, and my entire family for their constant support during the past 16 years. They have kept me grounded during the good times, the difficult times and all the time in between! Beth and I plan to stay in Wichita, and I look forward to working on projects that will continue to make this community a special place.
I decided to announce my retirement plans early to provide the Mayor and City Council with ample time to select a new City Manager. I know, however, there is a lot of work yet to be accomplished before the end of the year, and I am committed to working with them, and with you, to get it completed. Again, I thank all of you for joining me on this wonderful journey we call public service and for your hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence. It has not gone unnoticed!”
