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At the conclusion of a City Council work session Monday night, Lexington City Manager Jim Halasz submitted his letter of resignation to the Lexington City Council.
Halasz, who has served as the city manager since November of 2019, did not set a specific date for his retirement, but said in the letter that “my target retirement date is the first half of January,” noting that he will celebrate his 67th birthday shortly after the first of the year.
“My health is good, [and] I absolutely enjoy the challenges, successes, relationships and meaningfulness associated with working for the city of Lexington,” he wrote. “However [my wife] Deb and I have decided that there are other paths we hope to walk together and now is the time for this new beginning. So I am resigning solely to focus on this new course in life that Deb and I intend to pursue.”
The decision, he added, was not an easy one and “was months in the making – not because I do not want to spend time with my wonderful wife on that new path together, but because I still want to play the role I have enjoyed so much here in Lexington. Regrettably, I cannot do both.”
Halasz’s career is concluding in Lexington, but spans more than 30 years of service to various city, town and county governments in both Virginia and Michigan. Prior to coming to Lexington, he served as the assistant city manager in Cadillac, Mich., for two and a half years, the village manager of Milford, Michigan for three years (Michigan has villages and cities instead of towns and cities), the village manager for Paw-Paw, Michigan for five years, the deputy city manager and assistant city manager in Staunton for 12 years, and the county administrator in Halifax for six years. In his letter, he called his years in Lexington “unequivocally the best job in my career.”
“You as City Council members, both individually and collectively, have been great to work for and the city staff that I have worked with are truly top-notch,” he said. “Any successes I may be given credit for come largely only through the efforts of city staff and the support and leadership of city council.”
Halasz thanked the members of City Council, including past members Michelle Hentz and Dennis Ayers, for “sharing with me the passion you have for service and the support you have provided so that I could, in some small fashion, contribute to the successes that have occurred.”
He also expressed thanks for the city staff “who also daily dedicate themselves to their service to the city,” the “friendly and active residents of the community,” and his wife Deb.
“Throughout our over 30 years together she has always supported me, even when it was more than just a little difficult to do so,” he wrote.
Halasz concluded his letter by saying that he and Deb plan to remain in Lexington following his retirement, and that he was looking forward to “many years of forming and strengthening personal relationships in our community and continuing to serve the Lexington community.”
Lexington Mayor Frank Friedman thanked Halasz for his “time and talents and contributions to the city,” and Council member Nicholas Betts offered words on behalf of Council.
“You’re a great professional and great to work with and I’m sad that you’re not going to be continuing past, potentially, early next year, but we’re very thankful … and happy for you in your personal life that you’re going to get to spend time with Deb and your family,” he said.
A brief discussion of the necessary steps to begin the process of finding a new city manager followed Halasz’s announcement, and Council hopes to begin advertising the position by the end of the week.
