City Manager Toby Futrell announced a couple days ago that she will be retiring in May 2008. Ms. Futrell has served as city manager since 2001. She had been expected to retire sometime next year, since the city council recently approved a pretty sweet retirement package for her. Futrell has worked for the city since 1976; her current annual salary is $240,600, and the retirement package ensures her $167,000 per year.

During her service as city manager, Futrell earned compliments and complaints. On the one hand, she created the office of the Police Monitor; on the other, she didn't allow much community input into the Police Chief search until the last stages. After Katrina, she helped set up the convention center in short time for the influx of evacuees; she also dealt with other convention center drama, firing the director of the center for his doctoring of customer service surveys. More recently, there had been some controversy over the hiring of her brother-in-law by Austin Energy.

A national search will be held to find a replacement for Futrell.

[Statesman: Austin city manager to leave in May]

Photo by loudtiger on flickr