Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. announces he is stepping down in May

WORCESTER — After eight years at the helm of city government, City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. announced Tuesday he will be stepping down later in the spring.

In a statement, Augustus did not say what his plans are after he leaves the city at the end of May. His announcement will effectively leave the City Council and the School Committee searching for chief executives in the same year.

Augustus in 2019 negotiated a contract extension through October 2025.

In the statement, Augustus looked back with gratitude on his time at City Hall.

“Serving the people of Worcester as its sixth city manager has been the honor of my life," Augustus said. "I am forever grateful for the support I have received from the City Council, the city family and the residents of Worcester. I take great pride in the accomplishments we have achieved together — united in a common purpose: to improve the quality of life of our residents.”

More: What's next for Edward M. Augustus Jr.? Worcester city manager reflects on 8½-year tenure

Augustus' initial stint as city manager was supposed to be temporary. He agreed to a nine-month contract after former City Manager Michael V. O'Brien stepped down to take a job with Winn Companies.

The interim role was meant to give the City Council time to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent replacement. Augustus said at the time he intended to eventually return to his job as director of the office of government and community relations at the College of the Holy Cross.

But after that search the council returned to Augustus. Now the council will begin the search for the seventh city manager in Worcester's history.

Augustus came to the city manager's office after a life in politics. In addition to serving in the state Senate for two terms, he served as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, and managed Mr. McGovern's reelection campaign in 2010.

A Worcester native, Augustus served on the School Committee, worked for the Department of Education in the Clinton administration and was executive director of the Children's Defense Fund of California.

Augustus managed the day-to-day operation of Worcester during a time of growth, development and new interest in the city. He was assigned by the City Council to bring the Pawtucket Red Sox to Worcester, and he did, although he faced criticism that building a $100 million ballpark in the Canal District — the cost of which later grew to north of $150 million — represented a huge financial risk for city taxpayers.

Augustus' statement Tuesday also pointed to his administration's securing consistently favorable bond ratings while investing in city programs and resources including Recreation Worcester, capital improvements in park infrastructure and blue spaces. He helped shepherd through improvements to the Worcester Public Library and oversaw construction of a new elementary school and two new high schools.

Augustus in his statement also pointed to several tragedies and hardships the community has had to endure during his tenure including the line-of-duty deaths of Fire Lt. Jason Menard, Firefighter Christopher Roy and Police Officer Manny Familia.

Since March 2020, Augustus has been steering the city through the COVID-19 pandemic and acknowledged in his statement Tuesday both the hard work of the "city family" that kept everything running during the pandemic and the more than 500 city residents who have died from the virus.

Augustus also acknowledged in his statement that more work needs to be done as a community to fulfill his 2021 executive order to dismantle structural racism.

“I will remember confronting the anger, frustration and emotion faced in the fight for social justice following the death of George Floyd,” he said in the statement. “Institutional racism is real, and it exists at all levels. We are not where I want us to be, but I am committed, and I know my successor will be as well, to ensuring a city that truly embraces all people."

Mayor Joseph M. Petty said in a statement Tuesday that in the coming months, the council will start a search process for a new city manager and said he is committed to a full, fair, equitable and transparent process.

“It has been my distinct pleasure to serve with Ed Augustus over the last eight years and I am truly grateful that he chose to serve our city as manager," Petty said in the statement. "This has been one of the most productive times in our city’s history because of Ed’s ability to work collaboratively with the city council, our state elected officials, business partners and community groups."

He said Augustus has "left his thumbprint on our city in so many ways," and said his intellect, acumen and experience will be missed.

Petty said he and Augustus worked well together and "thought a lot alike,"

He said he's going to ask City Clerk Nikolin Vangjeli to send to councilors an overview of how the council handled the previous search that ended with Augustus and he suspected an interim city manager will again be put in place.

With Augustus leaving, the search underway for a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Maureen Binienda, and his own political future uncertain — he is running for state Senate and has said he will likely step down as mayor — Petty said the city administration will continue to keep on top of things.

"This place will run, and it will run well," Petty said.

Archive: Worcester City Manager Augustus, council agree to three-year contract

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. announces he is stepping down in May