AURORA — Aurora City Manager Jim Twombly announced his retirement Friday in a letter to Aurora City Council. He has served in the position since 2018.
His last day will be April 7.
Twombly cited a desire to spend more time with his family, including his six grandchildren, all of whom live out of state.
In the letter, obtained by Denver7 Investigates, he stated that he enjoyed his work with Aurora and that he appreciates “the professionalism and dedication” of city employees.
“Although there have been many unexpected challenges during my tenure here, I have tried to lead with a steady hand while being responsive to both the Council and the community. I believe I will be leaving the City of Aurora with a high performing, knowledgeable and competent staff,” he wrote.
Twombly oversaw the city’s operations as it dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic and created the city's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He also faced scrutiny last year after making the decision to fire former Police Chief Vanessa Wilson in April 2022.
Wilson filed a notice of claim, a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit, alleging that she was fired due to political pressure from the police union and some conservative members of the City Council.
At the time of the firing, Twombly said it was due to concerns over Wilson’s leadership ability and her management of the department.
In his retirement letter, Twombly noted his 42 years of public service. He also held city manager positions in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Broken Arrow Oklahoma and Pella Iowa during his career, according to Aurora's website.
“Jim has done an extraordinary job during a very difficult chapter in the history of our city, and he will be missed,” Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said in a press release.
Aurora City Council will meet in executive session Feb. 13 to discuss the next steps to fill the position.
