Town Manager Grady Miller is “retiring.”

Wow!

I’ve only been off the Town Council since early December, and I don’t recall any conversations with him the past four years about him planning to retire so soon.

Think the Not-So-Fearsome Foursome had anything to do with this? Nah, certainly not!

Call me cynical, but judging on what’s happened just in the past few months, could it be true? (Written with dripping sarcasm.)

No one needs to be inside a Town Council closed-door executive session to suspect Grady just didn’t want to deal with a gang of ill-informed, conspiracy-driven and tunnel-vision council members who seem intent on taking Fountain Hills back to 1979 or so and have no concept of “shame.”

What is the end game here?

I’m speculating that Grady has stood tall amid newfound discord and took the high road, as opposed to a lower road that seems rather down and dirty – and the seemingly favored path for an entitled majority.

Good for him!

I’ve been working in this town nearly 40 years and personally knew every town manager we’ve had since incorporation in late 1989. With no disrespect to anyone, I’d assert that Grady was the most respectful, humble, skillful and knowledgeable town manager Fountain Hills has ever had (Paul Nordin ranks a close second).

Having worked with Grady as a citizen, a member of the media and then as part of the Town Council, I grew to appreciate Grady for his professionalism, fairness and willingness to work hard and meet council members’ requests (not to mention hiring and mentoring some awesome employees, whose morale must be low right now).

What does the future hold for this town being driven by a band of extremists? Is this what voters really wanted for Fountain Hills?